Hitoriaruki: Walking Alone
by Auyri
Summary: With a million and one new questions, Mikan is faced with the hardest decision yet: To stay with the ones she loves and thus put them in mortal danger, or to keep them safe by disappearing forever? MixNa RuxHo C6 is UP!
1. Baka

Hitoriaruki: Walking Alone

Chapter One: Baka

By: Kasia

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are NOT mine. The storyline is the only thing that is. All credit for characters goes to the original author, Higuchi Tachibana.**

Brushing a wisp of her snow covered black hair behind her ear, Imai Hotaru continued to fiddle away at one of her most prized inventions. Much to her displeasure, the motorized white duck's engine couldn't be. This was bad, the snow around her was piling up and she was at least three miles from camp. At seventeen, she and her four classmates were in a dilemma only two days into their first mission. This would not make the academy very happy...

Now her fingers were going numb, her body growing weak, and her vision growing blurry. Struggling to stand from her kneeling position, she lifted her thick hood and secured her newest invention: night and heat goggles. With the foliage blocking out any light the moon might have offered (yet somehow letting in the snow), she could do nothing but scoop up her mobile-bird and stomp through the slush. Imai adjusted her goggles to heat mode and tried to keep her eyes on her feet so as to see the branches and roots that could so easily trip her.

With a sigh, Sakura Mikan folded the map and passed it to Sumire, who was endeavoring to get Hyuuga Natsume's attention by batting her eyes and flipping her curly hair. She hardly glanced the paper before passing it on to Nogi Ruka, who was entertaining a small wolf cub by playfully batting it with a stick. He studied the inscriptions more closely, but they all knew that Hotaru was the navigator. If only she would get back already...

"We're almost out," Natsume murmured, indicating the few pieces of wood remaining. He stood to walk away from the camp without explaining himself, but no words were expected. It was one of the first rules of survival: always have the necessary provisions well before they are needed. Ruka stood too; he turned to the two young women and gave a quick nod.

"We'll be back soon," he assured with a smile. Sumire watched them leave longingly, knowing she couldn't accompany them. Another rule: at least two people watched the base at all times. Mikan stood and stretched. She stepped over to the supplies and began to prepare a quick meal for when they returned.

Sumire was just thinking how tense Mikan looked; it occurred to her that it was her job to take Mikan's mind off trivial matters and keep her focused on the mission ahead. Hotaru was the mission leader, followed by Natsume, Ruka, and herself, with Mikan withholding the lowest rank (though she was quite certain this had more to do with Jinno-sensei's disapproval than Mikan's ability). She knew Mikan well enough to know how to assure her of Hotaru's safety. It was her duty with the rest of the group gone, wasn't it? She grinned and turned to her.

"Hotaru sure is taking a long time," Sumire noted. Mikan nodded and hid her concern by turning her back to Sumire as she worked. "I wonder if she's hurt or something. Then again, it is Hotaru, so I'm sure she's fine. And she has that duck-thing, too, so she can fly here if she needs to." Mikan nodded again and turned back to Sumire.

"She's too tough to be beaten by the weather," Mikan reasoned aloud, "I have no reason to worry for her." Hotaru was her best friend, after all. If she couldn't trust her to gather some fire wood, what kind of friend was she? Dropping a few fish into a skillet, Mikan turned to Sumire and asked her to monitor things while Mikan rested for an hour or so.

The entire group hadn't slept for over 48 hours. Mikan had just returned from yet another near fatal encounter when the mission was assigned, leaving her the most weary of them all. Sumire nodded, and Mikan slowly slid into her sleeping bag, which was actually Hotaru's caterpillar shelter, and fell asleep.

With no trace of feeling in her hands and little in her face, Hotaru was struggling much more than any of the others thought. Eyeing a marker she had left behind while travelling away from the camp, she realized just how far she still was. It would take at least another hour, maybe two at this rate, and she wasn't certain how much longer her legs would hold out.

Pulling out the strengthening drink Anna had prepared before they left, she sipped it carefully. She knew she needed to ration it; much harder events would lie ahead. She trudged forward, yearning for warm fire and briefly thinking that if she didn't make it back, poor Mikan would cry.

Natsume and Ruka had returned nearly an hour before Mikan even woke up, and now both Sumire and Natsume were fast asleep. Ruka was on watch but facing away from Mikan, so he didn't realize she was awake. After a quick overview Mikan had gathered that Hotaru wasn't back yet. Standing to her feet, she silently slipped away from the group undetected and even managed to grab a piece of the cooked meat.

_This is very, very bad,_ she thought with a shiver. Hotaru should have returned two hours ago. The snow that covered every inch of the ground worried Mikan dearly. Taking a quick glance behind her to make sure no one was looking, she rushed back into the woods. She was certain Hotaru had gone to the place they had passed the day before. The wood there was perfect, after all, and it was only three miles away. Mikan's pace through the snow reflected her good training.

Twenty minutes later, Ruka turned to see Natsume stirring and slowly standing up. They both realized what the empty sack meant at the same time. Hearing a twig snap, they turned to see Hotaru stepping into the camp. Ruka jumped up just in time to catch her as she collapsed forward.

Sumire woke at the scent of Hotaru. She grabbed the potions their schoolmates made and rushed to Hotaru's side. The two were far too busy tending to her to notice Natsume's absence until much later. Natsume, on the other hand, was too concerned for Mikan's safety and jogged out of the camp without bothering to tell them where he was going.

Almost there, Mikan thought, periodically flexing her fingers to keep the blood moving. She thought it would take her half an hour, at least, but her anticipation must have spurned her on for she was already entering the band of trees that were somehow dry and untouched. With a brief smile, Mikan called Hotaru's name.

No answer.

Well, she was half expecting that. If Hotaru had been in a condition to answer, she would have been back at the camp. Keeping her pace, she went through the greenery, somehow perceiving Hotaru wasn't there, but that something definitely was. She slowed her pace to a quick walk, glancing around. She felt the presence of something that she now knew was very sinister. _Hotaru ...! I hope she's alright!_

Out of nowhere four guards jumped at her. They were dressed in all white, and thus easily masked in every part of the forest save this one. Instantly, one was lunging to her. _Dodge left, block right, low right spin kick._ She tripped one of them while the other three came at her. She sprinted to the only opening in sight, but they pursued her and were just as fast.

Twisting around and delivering a quick side kick to one, Mikan blocked a fist holding a dagger that was aimed at her neck. She caught someone's leg, using her spinning momentum to flip him backwards. The fact that her alice couldn't be used in battle like the rest of her classmates had given her the incentive to learn how to fight. Four on one was unpromising, though, even after four years of practice with one of Japan's top martial artists.

Another guard jumped at her back and grabbed her neck. Mikan elbowed him hard in his rib and turned towards him to deliver a quick flat hand to his nose. She wasn't one to kill, but he was knocked out cold. One down. Spinning back to the others, she barely dodged a dagger that was flying towards her face. They had moved close to thick brush, and she had a few ideas that could turn the battle to her advantage. If they would just give her two seconds to grab her shurikens… But they were at her again, and this time she only managed to dodge two as the third sliced her cheek with his knife. _Switch blades are so cheap, show a little honor!_

Biding her time, she waited for one of them to make a mistake that she could use to her advantage. _Two down now, things are easier. Dodge, dodge, block, kick._ Using their split-second pause to pull out two of her cherished weapons, she took a traditional fighting stance. One of them, obviously less experienced, rushed at her and she instantly knocked him out. _One more. But this one… He has a grin, like he's enjoying this, sick jerk. And I can tell by the way he fights that he's just messing around, is he trying to taunt me?_

"Well done, well done. Now it's just one on one, isn't it? Shall we, then?" Lips curling a bit, he pulled out two seemingly short daggers, but Mikan wasn't fooled. She saw them when searching for a set of new shurikens. They had a small trigger at the base that would make them expand. And if he thought he was going to beat her with those, he was going to have a rude awakening. If she could defeat men with full katanas, defeating a fake with an evil grin that really ticked her off wouldn't be a problem.

He lunged at her, but she quickly dodged and judged the distance of his hidden swords easily. After fighting all four, fighting one was a pleasant change. _"No slacking off,"_ she could hear her shishou saying. Note: Shishou is a name for a martial arts teacher/master.

A quick block to her left followed by an attempted jab to her right, then came her flaw. As she had spun to block, her foot had snagged on a root and her ankle had twisted. The trigger was pressed, and her escape was too late. A slice ran across her right arm, immobilizing it and making her rely only on her left. Within seconds she had been flipped around, the man's dagger-turned-sword at her neck, a sneer across his lips.

"You've failed, and now those of us on the other side can use your power. It's a good thing I thought to slow down that girl, it lured you out ever so nicely." Turning Mikan around to face him, he forced her usable hand to drop its shuriken. _How dare he endanger Hotaru, and just to get me here!_ Her lame hand flew up and stabbed him in the stomach at the perfect spot. Not a killing wound, but at least one that would keep him in one place for awhile.

"You… you don't know the truth yet, then?" He forced a weak laugh. "Friends are foes and foes are friends, my dear, and I'm not the only one looking for you. You'll be chased for the rest of your life." Unwilling to show her surprise at his words, Mikan pulled her shuriken back and turned to leave. She paused only for a moment to offer her calm threat.

"If you ever so much as _look_ at her again, I won't be as merciful." She walked away from her battle scene, knowing that she had to find Hotaru and get back soon, but how? With her ankle she wouldn't be much help to Hotaru, anyways. She was having trouble stepping through the snow. _So much for keeping my pace._

Natsume came upon the site with much shock and concern. He didn't recognize any of the four men, but he recognized the handiwork. All of them would live, he knew, but one had a serious injury. Following the footprints that left them, he noted that one side of them was somewhat smudged, like she was dragging her foot along. This couldn't be good, he had to find her fast and get her back to the camp. Thinking that one of Hotaru's flying inventions would have been really nice about now, he sprinted along the tracks, knowing the falling snow would cover them soon.

Back at the camp, Hotaru was slowly waking up. Instantly noticing that there was no smiling Mikan looking down at her, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Sumire was on watch, Ruka sleeping. Glancing Hotaru, she rushed to her and tried to get her to lie back down, but the girl wouldn't be quieted.

"Where is she? She didn't… Please say she didn't go looking for me in this weather." Raising a shaky hand to cover her mouth, she whispered "baka" under her breath.

"Don't worry Hotaru, Natsume's already went after her, I'm sure she's fine. She's capable of protecting herself, you know? I know you can't help but worry, but at least know that she's in good hands, Natsume wouldn't let anything happen to her." Hotaru wasn't listening. She had grabbed her bag and pulled out a mini- computer, pressing the button with an "M" on it.

A quick beep, and then a map appeared, a flashing light showing her where Mikan was. There were lines underneath the map, too:

"Position: 2.79 miles SSE. Speed: Stationary. Status: Alive."

She pressed "N" and another light began flashing.

"Position: 2.83 miles SSE. Speed: 4.6 mph SSE. Status: Alive." She breathed a sigh and slowly settled back down. They were close, it wouldn't take him long to get her back.

Mikan's vision was blurry and her entire body felt completely numb. She had collapsed after only a little walking, and somehow her body couldn't bring itself to move. She had to get back, she knew, but in her condition there was no way she could. It occurred to her that leaving without telling anyone where she was going had really been pretty stupid, and a slight smile flickered across her lips at the thought of Hotaru telling her so.

Feeling herself drifting in and out of consciousness, she was about to allow her eyes to close when she saw something pass in front of them. _No… Who now? Friend? Foe…? I can't fight them now……… Gotta … get…… back…_ Someone was picking her up, and she could barely feel them speaking, saying something, but she couldn't respond. She didn't know if they were one of the group or someone else, but she could feel warmth and that was enough.

As they walked, she felt her body slowly revive, like she was waking from a dream. The strange battle came back slowly, and those words… "You'll be chased for the rest of your life." Who was he talking about? She carefully opened her eyes, but upon seeing Natsume carrying her she allowed them to close again. She was safe, she would be okay.

But how long would she be able to stay with them? Her friends… Her dear friends would be put into grave danger. If only she was stronger, faster, braver, more capable. Angry tears welled up in her eyes, their warmth spilling onto her cheeks. She leaned closer to Natsume and he looked down, surprised that she was awake. Slowing to a walk, he looked around them. Cave, a few hundred feet west of them. Hoping there wouldn't be any dangerous inhabitants, he headed in its direction.

Even after settling into the small cave and being warmed by a Natsume-made fire, Mikan wouldn't speak. She stared into the ember flames, annoyed at herself for making such a silly mistake in her previous battle and frustrated with the fact that she had to rely on someone else, even if it was Natsume. Granted, of the group she felt more comfortable relying on him than the rest, maybe excluding Hotaru, and she knew she could trust him to take care of her, but that was the agitating part. She didn't want him to have to take care of her, she wanted to be strong enough to take care of herself.

Why couldn't she have a more useful alice? It obviously hadn't done her any good in the previous battle, especially since none of them seemed to have an alice to begin with. Drifting into her thoughts, she didn't notice Natsume calling her until his third attempt.

"Nani o?" She instantly winced at the annoyance in her voice. It wasn't his fault she was so incompetent, it was pointless to take out her anger on him.

"Sorry…" she whispered, not that he had seemed offended to begin with.

"How did you get those cuts?" He stepped over to her, carefully removing the bandage around her arm and reaching into his pockets to grab something for her face. "Why didn't you clean them properly?" He gave her a cold stare, but she had known him long enough to know he was just worried.

"Gomenne, I was trying to get back, but my an-"

"It was foolish of you to go out on your own! Stop being such a baka all the time, you're going to get someone killed! This isn't a game, Mikan!" She pulled her arm away, frustrated with his tone but somehow seeing it to her advantage. _The farther I get from them, the better, ne? Sorry, Natsume!_

"I can take care of myself, Natsume! I don't need you to-"

"Yeah, that's obvious." _He's getting mad and I know I'm out of line, but… _"You were sure doing great when I found you buried in snow twenty minutes ago!"

"I could have gotten back, I was just taking a rest!"

"Baka! You would've died and you know it!" She couldn't respond. He was really angry, now, and obviously he would be. He had just saved her life and she was showing no appreciation whatsoever. Her pride wouldn't allow her to apologize, so she looked away as he hastily grabbed her arm and began cleaning it again. Amazing, he was incredibly mad at her and yet he was extremely gentle with her cut, being sure to put the antiseptic on slowly so it wouldn't hurt as much. When he was done, he stood.

"We've rested here long enough, better get back." He offered his hand, but she ignored it. Not to snub him, but because she was determined to stop relying on others, especially him, from now on. She couldn't help but think that she'd have to get away from them soon, just to keep them from danger. Natsume caught a glimpse of another tear in her eye, but she turned away and willed the tears away. No more crying. No more relying. Maybe even no more friends. She couldn't risk it, they were too important.

She wondered silently if they would ever understand that the reason she was pushing them away was not because she wanted to, but because she had to. She would protect them and their happiness at all costs. It suddenly occurred to her that she was going to have to be completely and entirely alone, that she shouldn't have contact with anyone at all for their own safety.

As Natsume turned to leave, she went to follow, only to fall nearly instantly when she tried to put pressure on her right leg, pain lacing from her ankle up to her thigh. She caught herself on the wall of the cave, trying to right herself quickly. Could she keep up this facade? It was going to be much harder than she'd thought to stop relying on others...

Warming her hands at the fire, Sakura Mikan shoved her nearly-waist-length light brown hair into a quick ponytail, knowing it would make her colder but needing to be able to examine the small map she and her companions had been given. _Honestly,_ she thought, _What's Hotaru doing out there? It's been nearly two hours already, and she just went to grab some wood… Granted, the only dry wood we've come across was a few miles back, but it still shouldn't take this long! _A bit worried, she leaned farther over the map, memorizing the geography.


	2. Hidden Motives

Hitoriaruki: Walking Alone

Chapter Two: Hidden Motives

By: Kasia

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are NOT mine. The storyline is the only thing that is. All credit for characters goes to the original author, Higuchi Tachibana.**

Mikan had gotten lucky, Natsume was too focused on what was in front of him to see her fault. Following his gaze, her eyes widened in shock at the immensity of the storm now bearing down upon the little cave. She leaned out, noticing for the first time that they weren't under the cover of trees.

"Ow!" She yelped, Natsume bending to pick up the penny-sized piece of ice that had rammed her head.

"...Hail. Get inside." She didn't need urging and was already limping back to their burnt-out fire. She sat down, a little worried as to what he was going to say about her handicap, but he either hadn't noticed or was ignoring the matter entirely.

Finally, at nearly midnight, Natsume laid to sleep, agreeing to let her have first watch. Mikan had barely waited fifteen minutes when she began unwrapping her ankle. She hadn't been able to see it well earlier, but now everything was clear. It was not a twist or even a sprain, but a devastating break, and she cringed at the thought of how long it would be before it healed completely. Her only comfort was that it was a completely clean break, as far as she could tell, and that made things a bit simpler.

Natsume, watching her with eyes that appeared to be closed in the fire-lit darkness, was taken aback. Her ankle was swollen and definitely in pretty bad shape, and he was about to say so when he heard her intake of breath. She grabbed her foot, clenching one eyelid closed. _This is it,_ Mikan thought. _No turning back now... If I'm only going to rely on me, then this is_ it.

Swallowing hard, she looked away and quickly snapped the bone back into place. She gasped in pain and leaned forward, both hands clutching the fixed sever as tears of pain, agony, and understanding of her predicament splashed off her nose.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, Natsume could do nothing but stare. Mikan crying wasn't unusual - when she had first come to the academy, she was a complete crybaby - but he had never seen her like this. At first glance, she was mearly shedding tears because of her ankle, and rightly so, but as he watched her he noticed that she wasn't squeezing her eyes shut like she was in pain. They were wide open, gazing at the ground in a daze, a million emotions reflected in them.

Fear, anger, hope, and a grim realization followed by a choked-back sob and an unseeing gaze of complete loneliness. He wanted to comfort her, to say something - anything - but now determination was showing in her features, and he knew that, no matter what he said, her stubborness would win. He knew her well enough to understand that, if nothing else. It was one of Mikan's biggest strengths, yet he feared it would be her downfall.

She roughly wiped her face, closing her eyes and taking a short but concentrated breath. When they opened again, no hint of the conflicting emotions could be found.

The sun arose slowly and gracefully, spreading its light across the horizon and creating bright blue and pink streaks in the morning sky. Mikan woke to the smell of breakfast and yawned sleepily before sitting up and eyeing the fish Natsume had skewered over the fire. Judging by the height of the sun, she calculated the time to be about half past seven. She silently scolded herself for sleeping in so late - _Shishou taught me better!_ - and lifted herself from the cave floor. She stretched, turned to Natsume and was about to give him a warm welcome when she paused. Flipping back around, she began to argue within herself.

_Wait… I'm supposed to be cold, right? Ugh, but that just feels wrong! It's not like I'm mad at him or something! But, wait, I've gotta push him away just like everyone else. I have to make him think I don't care about him - that I don't want to be with him anymore. Gah, but I just CAN'T do that! I know I should, but I just can't, there's got to be some other way… Or… Maybe that guy was wrong. Yeah, maybe no one will follow me. Maybe I'm not really the target - I bet he got me mixed up with Hotaru or something. And there's no way I'll leave her if she's in trouble! Come on, Mikan, pull it together, this is your best friend!_

Somewhat convinced - though falsely, - Mikan turned back with a full smile, ready to give Natsume his greeting.

Only, he wasn't there.

She turned around again, looking into the darkness, but he wasn't even back in the cave. Trying to shove down her chills, she stepped out into the sunshine, looking all around her. Nothing. And the fish was still burning over the fire, too. I _Where could he have possibly went? He was just there!_ Starting to get worried, she turned to step back into the cave and-

_WHAM!_ Mikan fell to the ground with a crash, the knot on her head slowly beginning to form.

With a gasp, Natsume woke and jumped straight up, only to fall back down as dizziness filled his senses. Giving his mind a moment to clear, he gingerly looked around, trying to get a bearing on his surroundings. His first thought was Sakura Mikan's safety. - Was she there? Had they captured her, too? If yes, where was she? And if not, was she okay? - His thoughts raced until he felt himself growing dizzy again. Trying to push the pressing questions away, he reasoned with himself. _Even if she's here, there's not much you can do unless you can escape yourself. Worry about that, first._

Carefully climbing to his feet, he again observed the setting around him. It was a small square cellar, maybe 10 feet across, made completely of stone. There was a single window with metal bars keeping him locked in. He could see the grass behind them, so he knew he was mostly underground. There was also one door, metal, with a small barred opening in the top. He stepped up to it and peered through.

There were two other visible doors in the short stone hallway. He looked up and down the corridor but saw no one.

"Mikan!" He whispered urgently. For all he knew, she was knocked out in one of the other cellars. "Mikan!" He tried again.

No response.

With a sigh he turned back to his prison, but then he heard a shuffle behind him.

"Are you looking for someone, boy?" It was a women's voice - though it wasn't Mikan's - and he rushed back to the bars.

"Yes! Her name is Mikan and she's about 5'3" and has long brown hair and is wearing a-"

"There's no one else here," she interrupted, speaking firmly. "We are the only prisoners. And if they've captured you then it must mean that you have something they want. What's your alice, child?"

Slightly annoyed that she kept treating him like a kid, and yet wondering how she knew he had an alice, Natsume quickly raised his hand, preparing to give her a quick demonstration.

Only nothing happened.

He tried again, this time focusing and wondering if maybe he was more tired than he thought. Still nothing. Sweat was beading on his chin as he went for a third attempt.

"It would be better if you just tell me what it is, I don't have the strength to keep canceling it."

"W-wait a sec, why would you be canceling it?" And _how_ would she be canceling it? This all seemed a little too familiar…

"Well, how good would it be if they not only saw your alice, but in seeing it discovered that you were awake and ready to use it? They would have you doing their bidding instantly. And you don't want that, I presume?"

"…And… What is _your_ alice, exactly?" He took a deep breath, preparing for the worst.

She hesitated then steadily replied, "The Imitation Alice." He breathed out, narrowing his eyes.

"The _what_?" He had never heard of that before, and in his profession he had to know pretty much every alice known to modern man, so why…?

"The Imitation Alice… It means I can copy other alices; it's just like it sounds." She gazed at him, a daring twinkle in her eye. He contemplated for a moment before responding.

"Do you have to see an alice to use it?"

She cocked her head to the side and her lips curled up a bit.

"Ah, if only it were that easy," she murmured, "But alas, the only way I can get a new ability is by having it first used on myself."

Natsume went rigid. A thought had just occurred to him.

"Then how did you get the nullification alice?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and gave him a disappointed look.

"Didn't I just say that I have to have it used on myself in order to get it? Honestly, I thought you were much, _much_ more intellig-"

"Yes, yes, but _how_ did you get it? The only person in existence that has the nullification alice is ..." He stopped himself, trying to figure out how to word his thoughts without giving away Sakura's name. Finally, he concluded, "...Is a person you can't possibly know."

She gave him a quizzical stare, and indignantly replied, "Well, why not? I dare say I've known both of them my whole life. Well, one of them I've known for _her_ whole life, but anyw-"

"_Both_ of them?" Natsume interjected, eyes going wide. Everything he had ever heard or gathered about the last person to have Mikan's alice seemed to point to them being dead. While he was quite sure it had been a woman - and that was really only a hypothesis - he had never heard of her being alive.

"Why, yes, _both_," she calmly stated, studying his features, "And you obviously have done your research, haven't you? I take it that you know the younger one - an acquaintance, perhaps? Well, no, that can't be right," she pressed her forefingers to her temples, "You know too much about the older one for you to just be an acquaintance. You must be close... And wow, you really spent a lot of time in that library at your school, didn't you? Gakuen Arisu, is it? Ah! I know a few of your teach-"

"Are you reading my thoughts?" Natsume demanded, staring at her in anger.

"What!" She glared at him in contempt, "I would never read someone's thoughts! Those are far too personal!" She paused before continuing, "...No, no, I'm reading your _mind_, silly child. I'm looking at your information database, trying to figure out what you know and what you don't know." He opened his mouth to speak again, but she held up her hand, "Not your _personal_ memories, just your regular ones. Breathe, I won't go snooping about if it doesn't have something to do with my mission - this alice takes too much energy for me to waste it like that." As she lowered her hand, Natsume let out the air that had been held in his mouth. Apparently she knew how to silence people, as well. This woman would be tricky to deal with...

"Hmm... Okay, so it seems you know Mikan-chan. Well, at least you're not her enemy - with your alice you are a very valuable ally..." She noted astonishment replacing the anger in his eyes and decided not to mention the intimate relationship the two seemed to share. No use getting him mad, again.

"...You called her Mikan-chan? How do you know her?" He looked intent, determined, and extremely protective, but she just smiled.

"Dear child, I knew her before either of you were born. Her mother is a dear, dear friend of mine, God protect her, as well as her husband - Mikan's father. Until recently, we had a schedule that assured that at least one of us was watching Mikan at all times..." She paused and looked down, tears welling in her eyes for just a moment before she blinked them away.

"...Until recently?" Natsume really didn't like where this conversation was headed - he had finally found someone who knew about Mikan's heritage, and now she was distraught just from talking about it. This couldn't mean anything good.

She took a deep breath, exhaling shakily. "Until my older brother, Edward, died," she whispered breathlessly, explaining, "My brother... Ed is Mikan's father, you see? And Maria… I haven't seen her in over five years... I do hope she's alright." Natsume gazed at her for a moment.

Dropping his eyes, he quietly responded, "But Mikan doesn't even know you exist." The woman looked up at him and furrowed her brow, unsure. He continued, "To her, the only father she's ever known is her grandfather. Maybe Narumi-sensei, too, but that's all. She mentioned once that she would like to know more about her mother, but that's all she said." The woman stared at him, jaw slightly lowered.

"That's impossible...! I personally sent in one of my own men - one of our men - and he i promised /i us that he would tell her the truth! He's a very close friend of ours, there's no way that he wouldn't! Why, he even became her martial arts teacher and everything!"

Natsume's heart seemed to stop. _Her martial arts teacher? Shishou!_ He took a deep breath, steadying himself. _Think,_ he demanded to himself, _Think, think, THINK! Why would Shishou not tell Mikan something so important? What other possibility is there? There's no way that Shishou is really against us - that he's been teaching Mikan but is really a traitor. Why would he teach her how to fight when he's actually against her? There would be no point. And she_ knows _how to fight, too. There's no mistaking that..._ He collected his thoughts slowly and carefully before speaking.

"...Is there any reason he wouldn't have told her?" Mikan's aunt was pacing her room, but she quickly came back and grabbed the bars fervently. She opened her mouth to speak, then stopped and looked up as though a light bulb was turning on. She grinned, realization and hope back on her features.

"Well, there is _one_ reason," she grinned mischievously, chuckling before continuing, "That sly punk," she sighed, the words sounding slightly odd in her fresh british accent, "I can't believe he really did it! It's almost impossible, but it's really the only way he wouldn't tell her. And now, meeting you here, why, it makes such perfect sense. And you know so much about her, too, so obviously…" She trailed off, obviously excited about something.

"What?" Natsume demanded, curious, "What is it?" She smiled and looked up at him.

"He managed to find her a-"

There was a loud crash, and the two of them turned to see the hallway walls collapsing inward. What was worse, the tidal wave of falling rock seemed to be coming straight to them!

"Grab my hand!" The woman yelled, thrusting her arm through the bars. Natsume stared at her in complete confusion. There was no way that she was scared, not with those fighting eyes, so why…?

"Grab my hand, _now!_" She demanded again, and this time he didn't think to question it. Shoving his arm into the hallway, he stretched to reach her with all his might. Right when the rocks started to fall around them, their fingertips touched and _WOOSH!_ There was no trace of either of them left.

Mikan dusted herself off as she carefully stood from her kneeling position. Somewhere close there had just been a serious earthquake, and it had rippled its way to her spot in the middle of the sandy dunes she was standing in. Strange… She had been in the snow only a little while ago, but now everywhere she looked was the tan color of sand. Pulling her backpack a little tighter to her shoulders, she turned to the direction of the origin of the quake, gingerly nurturing her right ankle with each step.

Nearly an hour passed before anything of importance came into view. She paused atop one of the dunes to examine it, studying the layout of the now collapsed building. It looked like it was supposed to be a church, but with the walls collapsed she could see that it was a dungeon. Surveying it for only a moment longer, she started her way towards it. She had been trying to find a way to leave her friends without them catching on, but now she wouldn't even have to! She bit her bottom lip, thinking that they would probably forget about her soon.

"I imagine they won't even come to look for me," she muttered under her breath, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "I was trying to get rid of them, but now I miss them already. How will I ever survive without them…? Maybe if I could just see them - just once more - without them even knowing I was watching them. Sometime when they're out having fun or doing something great," determination filled her voice and she raised her chin with a stubborn grin, declaring, "I won't miss any of their best moments!"

"Well, I would hope not."

Mikan jumped, spinning around and stepping away from the speaker at the same time, tripping over her own feet and falling backward. Standing in front of her was a older man with dark hair and pale blue eyes.

"Shishou! You… What? Why? _How?_" She stared in complete adoration and amazement, sadness and doubts instantly fading away.

"Why? To protect you, of course! I might have taught you most - maybe all - that you need to protect others, but honestly, you are years away from finally learning to protect yourself," he finished with a grin, dropping his hand in front of her. She grabbed it and he pulled her up, both ignoring the sand covering her.

"But… But, hey!" She propped her hands on her waist, proudly cocking her head up a bit, "I'll have you know that I defeated four - not one or two - _four_ highly trained men just a bit ago!"

He chuckled, "In an effort to protect yourself, or to save your dear friend Hotaru from certain death in the freezing temperatures of the snow?" Mikan paused, considering this.

"Well… Well, I guess maybe to protect Hotaru, but she wasn't even there."

He nodded, "I know, I saw the whole thing. Actually, I was with Hotaru until she went right past you. I was shocked that you didn't notice her, Mikan," he chided sarcastically, but Mikan knew there was truth to his words, "You really should have been paying more attention to your surroundings."

"…So… How long have you been with us, exactly?" She timidly looked up at him, waiting.

"Since you left school. I couldn't very well leave my student on her own - especially when she's still lacking in the common sense area," he teased. She gently shoved his shoulder with a smile. "But about this 'get rid of them' business, hmm? What's going on in that head of yours, Mikan?" When she remained silent, eyes darting to the ground, he sighed. "I suppose you could tell me while we move, as it's really not safe in this area. And there's someone near that I've been meaning to see in quite a long time, so if we could continue on. I do expect you to explain this to me as we walk, though, Mikan-chan. I hope you have come to trust me enough to do that."

Mikan nodded numbly and the two started walking, her voice fading into the distance as she talked.


	3. Hold Your Ground

Hitoriaruki: Walking Alone

Chapter Three: Hold Your Ground

By: Kasia

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are NOT mine - they belong to Higuchi Tachibana. I just made the storyline.**

Imai Hotaru checked her mini-computer once more, confirming Mikan and Natsume's location for the billionth time. (Hotaru: "Actually, it's only the three hundred fifty-eighth time." Author/Kasia: "…mumbling How does she come up with this stuff…?" Ruka: "…You mean you're actually counting!" Sumire: "That's because she's a brain with no social life whatsoever, duh!" Hotaru: eyes turn to evil stars as she glares at Sumire "Perm-head." Sumire: "..." Ruka: "..." Kasia: "..." cough "Okay, as I was saying...") She, Sumire and Ruka were sitting in the back of a military van, waiting to arrive at the nearest airport. She noted that Mikan and Natsume seemed to be safe - and near each other, too - but she couldn't help but wonder who their accompaniers were. Carefully placing the computer next to her on the seat, she pulled her backpack from the floor to her lap and began shuffling through the many pouches. Sumire was asleep in the backseat, and Ruka sat next to Hotaru (opposite the computer) and curiously watched her.

After many mumblings of, "Where did I put that thing?" and, "Why is that here?", Hotaru finally pulled out her sought-after item. Ruka leaned toward her, shocked to see such a familiar pair of earmuffs. Hotaru quietly placed them over her ears and pressed a button on the bottom of one of the ear pieces, under of the dark, floppy dog ears. It caused a cord to drop from the dog's mouth, and she instantly grabbed it and hooked it to her computer, once again placing the backpack on the floor.

"…Hotaru-chan," Ruka mumbled, a puzzled and awed expression on his face, "Aren't those the earmuffs that Mikan wore when Natsume was kidnapped by Reo?" When she nodded, he continued, "But… Hotaru-chan, that was over five years ago… And didn't Reo take them?" Hotaru nodded again, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

"That was just a trial version," she replied with a grin, "Do you really think that I would let _Mikan_ use the real ones? You and I both know she'd total them!" Sumire stirred in the back, the two hurriedly continued with somewhat lowered voices. "And let's not forget that I could have easily made new ones..." Ruka chuckled.

"So, what do you plan to do with them?" He asked, a bit quizzical, "And why are you hooking them up to your computer?" She gazed at him innocently out of the corner of her eye, but he could easily guess what that meant. "Alright," he conceded, crossing his arms over his chest, "What are you scheming this time?"

Natsume peered around him for what felt like the hundredth time, but no matter how many times he looked at his surroundings, he couldn't get a grasp on them. This could have something to do with the fact that they kept changing, giving him a new sight to see every few seconds. With a frown, he turned to his companion, trying to ignore the blobs of color behind her that had just transformed from an exotic palm tree to an overly large and blooming cactus.

"I still don't get it," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, "You claim that we're in a dimensional warp - not through time, but through place - but shouldn't we have stopped by now? It's been nearly ten minutes!" A sweat drop slipped off his face, his exasperation obvious.

The middle-aged woman sighed, "It's not just a dimensional warp, it's a glimpse. We're seeing tiny glimpses of different places and different things. And yes, yes, I suppose we should have stopped by now, but I was so caught by surprise that I didn't exactly use the alice correctly," she conceded, " But you know, you can't really blame me, I only just acquired it a week and a half ago!"

"Actually," Natsume snapped, "I _can_ blame you. And I will. You shouldn't have used it if you didn't have it perfected!"

"Well, excuse _me!_" She countered, throwing her arms in the air, "But the occasion we were in didn't really merit any other options. I didn't see you coming up with any bright ideas!" His eyes went dark, pride kicking in.

"If you would have waited a mom-" And then the tunnel cleared. They eyed their surroundings, suspicious as to if they were actually solid. Natsume reached out and timidly touched the red rock face in front of him.

"It's… real…" he breathed, releasing a sigh. "Finally. I thought we'd be stuck in that thing forever…" He leaned against the cliff, glancing at the woman as she stepped forward to feel it herself.

"Wow, I got it right!" She exclaimed, leaping in the air with enthusiasm and startling Natsume, "We're exactly where I planned - about a quarter mile away from where we started!"

Natsume looked around them, quickly spotting the ruins of their past jail cells. He couldn't help but grin.

"You mean you didn't expect it to work?" He asked sarcastically. She ignored the evident disdain and turned to him with a smile.

"My name is Isabella," she stated, extending her hand. He looked at it a bit questioningly before reaching out and shaking it.

"Hyuuga," he replied, face as nonchalant as always, though he really couldn't help but feel excited over this new acquaintance. _What would Mikan think of her?_ He found himself wondering. _Well, she'd better like her, this lady's her aunt!_

Mikan, however, was not in a predicament that would have allowed wondering. She and Shishou stood back to back, surrounded by what they estimated as nearly two hundred men and women. Mikan inclined her head, twisting enough to whisper in her Shishou's ear.

"…So…? What do we do now?" He instantly noticed that her breath was a bit shallower than usual.

"…You're still not in shape to fight," he said with a commanding voice, silencing all arguments, "And I might be strong, but I can't take them all." Mikan's heart fell. Here she was, helpless again.

"Just like always," she muttered with a sigh. He grabbed her hand and shushed her.

"It doesn't make you inadequate or weak - it makes you human. The next thing I will have to teach you is how to realize that." She lightly chuckled, releasing his hand and turning back to the mobs as they steadily created a path for their leader. She caught a glimpse of him and nearly fell over backward, shock in her features. Standing before her was a man that looked so familiar she could have sworn that she had seen him everyday of her entire life. His trimmed dark hair was thick, and he wore a dark suit - possibly a military uniform, - but what held her attention were his eyes. They were a bright, electrifying blue, lighter and more mysterious than her own. Beside her, she saw Shishou raise a hand to cover his mouth as he said something, but it was so quiet and unfamiliar to her that she instantly assumed she had heard it incorrectly.

"We're very close to them," Hotaru mumbled to herself, unconsciously biting her lower lip in anticipation. Ruka grasped her hand with an encouraging smile and her lips curved slightly upward in return, her eyes softening.

"I'm sure she's doing fine on her own," he assured her, giving her hand a small squeeze. He knew that there was more to Hotaru than meets the eye - especially when it comes to how she's feeling. He had patiently learned to pick up on the subtle hints that spoke of her anxiety. She tried to look brave, but he could see the conflicting emotions in her eyes. Regardless of the situation, she had always been there to save her best friend - just like Natsume and Ruka were always there for each other, as well. - She would _not_ allow a black mark to appear on her perfect record.

Returning her gaze to the computer in her lap, she released his hand and switched on the earmuffs. Ruka habitually wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she typed in some code. And image of Shishou instantly jumped onto the screen, and the two leaned in for a closer look.

Mikan stretched across the table, snatching the last roll right before Shishou took it. She grinned tauntingly at him as she bit it, but no sooner had it entered her mouth than a new tray with a fresh, hot batch was place in front of them. Shishou thanked the servant and gladly took a roll from the plate, ignoring Mikan's shocked look and agitated sigh.

"I trust that everything is to your liking?" The man at the end of the long table queried, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to appear on his lips, though Mikan didn't notice. The two nodded and Mikan went to speak, only to realize that her mouth was entirely full. Shooting her a teasing smile, Shishou expressed their gratitude.

"Yes, of course, thank you for your hospitality," he responded. He began to say more, but stopped himself. The man beamed up at them and Mikan instantly smiled herself

"I'm very glad. Now, I don't think I have properly introduced myself. My name is Martin Lewis, and I own this estate and manage the men and women that surrounded you earlier. My deepest apologies for their welcome… They were under strict orders to stay silent and not harm you."

Mikan shrugged, "Could've been worse."

"Indeed," Shishou agreed. Mikan caught a mysterious glance between their host and Shishou, but decided against questioning it. There was nothing for her to question them with anyways, though she was almost positive that the two had a history together, regardless of Mr. Lewis' introduction.

"Well, if you're both done," Martin remarked, breaking the silence, "Why don't you stay for the night?" Mikan started to decline, but Shishou cut her off.

"Thank you, Martin. I hope we won't be too much trouble?" He seemed timid, something Mikan had never seen before.

"Not at all, Charles, it would be a pleasure!" Now _that_ made Mikan's jaw drop. She had never heard anyone call Shishou by his first name, - jeez, until just now she had not even known what it was! - yet this man used it so naturally and unabashedly. She suddenly felt very protective… _How dare he call _my_ Shishou by his first name! Not even his surname, either, like they're old pals or something! Shishou deserves much more respect!_ Once again, she opened her mouth to speak but Shishou interjected.

"Alright, Martin, the two of us should get to bed early," he speculated, "Long day tomorrow." Martin nodded and stood to lead them upstairs when Mikan suddenly realized how tired she was. Her feet instantly moved her to the bed when they reached her room, and she was fast asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow. In the hallway, the two watched with adoration written all over their faces.

"…I definitely could use that ability to sleep," Shishou yawned, "But I have the same problem as she does - my poor mind just never shuts up." Martin smiled apologetically.

"You're sure you don't want a sleeping pill as well?" He insisted, "I understand that she has a lot on her mind and that slipping her one will help, but I don't understand your stubbornness against taking one yourself."

Shishou sighed, "I need to keep my alertness," he reasoned, "It's my duty and honor to protect the girl - young woman - that will change fate. I wouldn't jeapordize her safety for anything, even if it _is_ something I want and even need."

Martin smiled, "So… That's really her, huh? The woman that will change history, the girl that is my dear Maria's?" He looked so hopeful, so exuberant and excited that Shishou could only nod. "Why, if Ed could see her now. She's grown to be so beautiful, hasn't she? I bet Maria and Bella are impatient for the moment when they will be able to actually meet her again." Shishou again nodded, this time gravely.

"But I'm afraid that won't happen for awhile yet," he predicted, "She might be strong when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, but she's nowhere near prepared in the area of using her alice. Although, meeting either of them might help her along a bit - they both have a bit more practice with it than she does."

Martin nodded, "She's going to have a tough path, isn't she?"

"Yes," Shishou affirmed, "She is."

"And there's no one who can do it for her?"

"Not with her specific task, no," He related, pausing before continuing, "But there is one that can help her, and what he does will greatly influence the outcome of her mission."

He lowered his voice so Martin couldn't hear him before adding, "And her life…"

Isabella held her hand up to her eyes, long slender fingers holding a pair of binoculars as she checked their location. Natsume looked up at her and noticed the wedding band around her finger for the first time. Ignoring it for the time being, he followed her gaze along the darkening horizon. Night would be fully upon them soon. She raised her free hand and pointed.

"There," she instructed, "_That's_ where we're going." About two miles into the distance was a large, expansive mansion. He scoffed at the location, but appreciated that it was at least close by.

"Do you think the owner will just let us waltz right in?" He asked skeptically. She smirked, turning to him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Yup."

Hotaru was shocked but happy at the same time. Shishou was with Mikan. She was safe. And Natsume would reach them any minute, meaning he would also be safe. She had no idea how Shishou had managed to stay with them without her noticing, but was thankful regardless.

She was sitting in a comfortable first-class seat aboard a military aircraft, glad to know that they would soon be reuniting with their friends. Ruka and Sumire were in the seats on either side of her. Sumire was wide awake, now - regardless of her exhaustion, she had the same physical programming as the rest of the group - the programming that their school had installed in them. The programming that made it invariably impossible to sleep longer than a few hours without waking to check the surrounding area at least a dozen times.

Hotaru noticed that Sumire was sketching out the interior of the plane, which was of course entirely unnecessary, but upon seeing the nervous shaking of her companion's fingers she decided not to question it. Ruka, on the other hand, appeared to be fast asleep, though he stirred just as she turned her gaze to him. He sleepily opened his eyes.

"…Hotaru, have you slept yet?" Sumire glanced over at them, then turned back to her own work. Hotaru shook her head.

"Then go to sleep," he commanded, "And that's an order - you know that when it's just the three of us I become commanding officer. Sleep. Now."

Hotaru sighed and nodded her consent, leaning her head back and taking a deep breath before plunging into slumber.

Mikan awoke suddenly as a large bang, followed by a few loud but inaudible voices, echoed down the hall. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she checked the clock to find that it was nearly four in the morning. No sooner had she slipped out of bed than the entire group poured into her bedroom, a young man with dark hair and sharp eyes leading them.

"Natsume!" Mikan nearly screamed, pushing herself towards him. The entire group was silenced as she gave a yelp, her ankle giving out. She collapsed, the boy leaping forward to catch her.

"Mikan! Mikan, are you alright! That ankle - have you been putting a lot of weight on it?" He lifted her off the ground, carrying her back to the bed and carefully sitting her down on it.

She winced, protesting, "Really, it's not a big deal. It barely hurts at all! And it's no reason for me to stay in bed all the time," she reasoned, but she was silenced by his cold glare.

"Maybe not in bed, but at least off your feet," he demanded, giving her a look that offered no room for objection.

"Natsume, if you're so worried for her, let her sleep," Shishou interrupted, adding, "She hasn't gotten much lately." Mikan looked up at him indignantly, but a yawn unwillingly escaped her lips, proving his words to be true. Natsume hesitantly nodded, but instead of leaving the room he walked over to the mini-living room and plunked down on the couch. Mikan almost laughed, but suddenly her eyes became too heavy and she managed to snuggle back under the covers, falling asleep instantly.

As Shishou and Martin stepped back into the hallway, Isabella stole a peak into the girl's bedroom. She knew that she couldn't risk meeting her - not yet, - but it was still unbearably hard to keep herself from running in and throwing her arms around her niece. She bit her tongue as anguished tears filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. She would be strong. She would hold her ground, if only for precious Mikan's safety and emotional stability. To give her an aunt after all this time would surely rock her world. Isabella cleared her throat, knowing that her old friends were watching her sympathetically.

"Well, you two, I do believe I'll be in my room," she sniffed, trying to get control over her emotions, "I do believe the overuse of my alice has made me a bit more exhausted than usual." Martin nodded, leading her down the hall. She stepped into a room that was quite obviously hers - it was decorated with personal pictures and had a large paper-covered desk in the corner. - Before entering, she turned to the two men, face devoid of her heart's pain. She wasn't fooling either of them, but they knew better than to mention it.

"Wake me by six," she instructed, "We have much to discuss and I must leave before she arises." The men nodded and she shut the door carefully, quickly stepping into her personal bath and closing the door. Tears freely streaming down her face, she leaned against the beautiful mahogany of the wall and slid slowly down, falling into depressed but deep rest.

Hotaru all but skipped off the plane, jumping down the steps and hurrying her companions to the waiting car. A man handed her the keys and she passed them to Ruka, hopping around to the passenger's side. He chuckled at her and got in, Sumire climbing into the back. Starting the engine, they were soon out of the base and on their way through the sand dunes, Ruka following Hotaru's very clear-cut directions.

The older woman scanned the area from her hiding place, lifting her eyes just high enough above the dark brick wall to see a small squadron the enemy's troops go marching by. They paused in front of a young boy who was carrying a sack of newspapers, exchanging glances of evil intent.

"So, boy," one of them began, "You're the mail punk around here, huh?" He towered over the child, who slowly backed away.

"Aww, you don't have to be scared," another one quipped, "We won't hurt ya."

"At least not _too_ badly," the first added. He raised his gun and swung it at the boy, aiming for his face.

The woman jumped in front of him, catching the gun as the wind gushed around her, catching her long, dark violet locks. She had hoped to avoid confrontation, but decided that it could not be helped. She could not just stand by as a young boy, no older than ten, was bullied right in front of her. Her motherly genes would not allow it.

"I suggest you leave him alone," she breathed. The man's shocked face quickly regained composure and he snickered arrogantly.

"Step back, woman, you're not capable of stopping a group like us!" He lifted his hand, electricity sparking on his fingers threateningly. The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes, you are just so powerful," she mocked, "I'm sure that no one could ever beat someone like you…" His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward.

"Best not to test my patience, miss," he whispered, his nose nearly touching her own.

"I wasn't aware that scoundrels like yourself actually contained such a thing, _sir_,"she chimed, the glimmer of a laugh toying in her eyes. Furious, he thrust his hand at her, but she easily grabbed it, flipping him over and turning to the rest of the group as they began to come at her. Within a few minutes, she had lowered the group of nearly ten to only two.

The original man carefully stood and shot a spark, aiming straight for the little boy who was trembling next to the brick wall. Anger glinting in her eyes, the woman merely looked at it and the electricity vanished. The man turned to her with wide eyes, truly terrified and unsure.

"Who… Who are you!" He choked, fear showing clearly in his features. She turned to him after landing a solid blow to the last of his men. Placing a hand on her hip, she lifted her head and glared at him.

"Hikari," she retorted, stepping over to him. His eyes went wider and his face grew instantly pale.

"Th-_The_ Hikari!" He sputtered. She grinned.

"Yes. _The_ Hikari."

Alright, there ya go, Chapter Three: Hold Your Ground is complete! Send in reviews and hope you liked it !


	4. Truth

-1Hitoriaruki: Walking Alone

Chapter Four: Truth

By: Kasia

**Disclaimer: Okay, Gakuen Alice belongs solely to Higuchi Tachibana... But if you happen to know her, can you pleeeease talk her into selling it to me?**

At exactly six a.m. the maid gently rapped on Isabella's door. It took her a few tries, each gradually louder, before Isabella actually heard it from her spot inside the closed off bathroom. Pushing herself to her feet, she stretched with a sigh.

"Are you awake, miss?" The servant asked timidly, her voice barely penetrating the walls.

"Yes, yes," she affirmed, "I'm up, thank you!" The knocks instantly halted.

"Very good, milady," the maid replied, shuffling back down the hallway. Breathing out a downhearted sigh, Isabella bit her lower lip and stood. Less than five minutes later, she was on her way to the main hall. She was a bit surprised to find Natsume waiting with her two comrades. She raised an eyebrow at Martin, eyeing him quizzically.

"We thought that he should know," he explained with a grim smile, "Charles tells me that he will play a great part in this story." Isabella hesitantly nodded. She slowly spun around, her eyes tracing the many paintings and pictures that hung on the walls. She was in no hurry to begin this discussion. All three of them knew that this would not be a privilege to Natsume, but a burden. Regardless, if Charles said they should tell him, she wouldn't question it.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning, just to fill Natsume-kun in," she began, turning to face them, "You might want to have a seat. This will take awhile…" As Natsume sat himself in one of the large, comfy chairs, Charles stepped over to her.

"Izzy," he breathed into her ear, "Tell him just what he needs to hear." She nodded her understanding and he stepped back to his place against the far wall. Martin was standing a little behind Natsume, resting his arms on one of the other chairs. They all watched her expectantly.

"So," Isabella started, "Mikan's mother, Maria - the one I was telling you about, - she also had the nullification alice. She and her husband, Edward - Mikan's father and my brother - were operatives for the government. Actually, so were the three of us, at the time. When Maria got pregnant, normally a happy and exciting event, she was very troubled. She was worried about Ed's reaction, so she chose not to tell him and instead went on a long-term mission that lasted until after the baby was born. She had a baby girl - Mikan - and took the child to her father, ie. Mikan's "Jii-chan". She knew that her life was far too dangerous for the child to grow up with her, and she proved to be undeniably correct.

"After leaving Mikan and returning home, she began to conduct a series of experiments. She had taken a small sample of Mikan's blood and found that Mikan, too, had the nullification alice. Wanting to know as much about it as possible so that she could give something to her daughter, she studied straight through the night many times. Finally, she made a breakthrough, but it wasn't what she had been hoping for. You see, she discovered something virtually shocking and entirely unexpected about her alice… That if she used enough of her energy - no, _all_ of her energy, - she could not only stop someone from using their alice, but even remove it from them entirely. However, when she tried it on an enemy, she became so weak that she nearly lost the battle and eventually fainted from lack of strength.

"Edward was shocked and entirely confused. - His wife was brilliant, how could she ever make such a big mistake in her research? And why was she so consumed with it? - When he questioned her, she wouldn't answer. Finally, after days of asking, she confessed that they had a child, and that the child had her alice. She explained that she had wanted to give Mikan something - _anything _- in return for leaving her like she had. Edward was shocked, but he agreed with her move to keep Mikan out of danger. That night, Maria had a vision. This had never happened to her before, so she wasn't sure what to make of it, but the vision showed a young Maria using her alice to protect and save millions. She was puzzled by it and spent days trying to understand it. It finally dawned on her nearly a week later. The woman was not a younger version of herself, but an older version of Mikan!

"She told Edward about it immediately, and they decided that Mikan should have extra protection. So, he asked Martin, Charles and I to help the two of them, and we swore our allegiance to him at all costs. There was one more with us… A young girl with amazingly vicious powers that far surpassed her age of only nine years old. She was wise and had mastered more skills than Ed, shockingly enough. But she betrayed him - she betrayed us all. On her sixteenth birthday, she showed her true colors by launching a surprise attack on each of us, trying to pick us off one by one. Well, like that would work! She might have been strong and knowledgeable, but we had far more experience than her. She ended up running off, and I haven't seen her since."

Isabella paused, taking a sip of water and making sure Natsume had no questions before continuing.

"Maria is now on another long-term mission, but this one is far more personal. That young girl killed Mikan's father nearly ten years ago while he was with Maria. She saw the entire thing. There was one other spectator, though I imagine she has hidden the memories far, far back within herself. That spectator was an eight year old Sakura Mikan."

Natsume unconsciously sucked in a huge breath. Behind him, he heard a choked sob. Isabella's eyes widened and the rest of the group turned to see Mikan standing at the door, hands covering her mouth in shock. Natsume stood, taking a step toward her.

"Mikan…" He began, but it was no use. She turned and fled from the room, Natsume following. The other three sat there and listened as the front door opened, slammed, opened again.

"I…I didn't… I didn't even realize she was there!" Isabella whimpered, tears filling her eyes again at her niece's distress.

"Of all things for her to hear…" Shishou whispered.

"That poor child," Martin breathed.

"Indeed," piped another voice. They looked back at the door Mikan had just been standing in to see a tall, light-haired young man standing in her place. A collective gasp went around the room. Isabella slowly stepped toward him, hands reaching out as though to see if he were real.

The reuniting had begun.

Hotaru stared down at her computer, then up at the mansion, then back down again. Ruka had parked them about a quarter mile away with a clear view of the front door.

"Hotaru…!" He hissed, and she looked up to see Mikan fleeing from the house, Natsume right on her heels. Even from a distance, all three of the passengers noticed her distress, as well as her slight limp. Hotaru moved to open her door, but Ruka caught her arm, slowly shaking his head.

"They've gotta figure this one out on their own," he advised, giving her an apologetic smile. It was obvious how eager she was to be at Mikan's side. The group had watched the conversation through the video camera Hotaru had on Mikan. They were nearly in as much shock as she was. Hotaru hesitantly nodded, sorrow clear on her features. _It's rare for her to show this much emotion,_ Ruka silently speculated, watching her intense anxiety sympathetically. Sumire leaned forward.

"I'm going to go speak to Shishou," she announced, "I want to know who that man we saw go in was." She slipped out of the car, actually leaving more out of respect for her two friends than out of curiosity. Hotaru was extremely upset, though she did her best to hide it. She knew that the unspoken couple would appreciate the privacy.

Back in the car, Ruka wrapped his arm around Hotaru's neck. He pulled her towards him in a gentle embrace, caressing her back. With Sumire gone and no air of strength or control to put on, Hotaru slowly fell into sobs for her friend's misfortune. Ruka waited for her to stop shaking before pulling back. He sweetly cupper her face in his hands, kissing her forehead. She sniffed, trying hard to get a grip on her tears.

"All this time," she wept, unbelieving, "And I… I had no idea!" She leaned into him again, another sob choking her. She couldn't help but chide herself. _What kind of friend doesn't ask about another's missing parents? It's not like we've only known each other for a few days or something! _

"Shhh…" Ruka soothed, "No one would have guessed something like that, Ru-chan… Not even Mikan remembered it." Rubbing a hand over her hair, he silently prayed she would fall asleep. She could definitely use the break.

Natsume finally caught up with Mikan, grabbing her arm and pulling her back towards him. She complied, stopping and turning to look at him, but instantly dropping her gaze. Her eyes seemed to be memorizing every crystalline piece of sand the ground had to offer. They were both breathing hard from the run, making conversation difficult, but Natsume ignored that.

"Mikan," he sputtered between gasps for air. She seemed to look farther down, if that was possible.

"Mikan, talk to me," he pleaded. Her eyes squinted and her brow furrowed. She opened her mouth to speak, then quickly closed it. Clearing her throat, she tried again.

"There's a piece of paper under your feet," she reported, raising a hand to point. He raised an eyebrow at her but did not bother to glance down.

"Mikan," he stressed, "How does that have to do w-"

"There's writing on it," she interjected, bending down. It was squarely under his shoe. She glanced up at him.

"Do you mind?" She asked pointedly. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Talk to me first," he demanded, adding, "And not about some part of the scenery, either. Talk to me for real." He knew her well enough to know that if she wasn't talking willingly she must be really upset. _Big shock there._ She stared at the white sheet below him.

"Not yet, Natsume," she protested, her voice barely audible, "Don't make me talk about it yet." He watched as she peered down at the marked paper, wondering if she remembered it. _It_ meaning her father's death. He wondered if she could see the instant replays playing over and over in her mind's eye. He knew that he still saw his village… Maybe a bit less in the past few years, but it was still there.

Pulling the paper out from underneath his boot, Natsume dusted it off and handed it to Mikan. If pretending that everything was okay would make her feel better - if it was what she wanted - he would play along. At least for now, anyways.

_Alright_, Hikari thought with a sigh, _This is getting a little ridiculous. Sure, boss wanted me to destroy this base, but I never thought it would be this **easy**._ She was making her way back out of the base, stroking her gloved hands along the walls, not bothering to hide. If they saw her face… Well, good for them. They would not remember it when they woke up, anyways. She had personally made sure of that, using her alice to search each and every one of their brains simultaneously, pulling out any thoughts or memories that resembled her. Granted, there were a few possible memories that were dismantled that were not necessarily about her, but that was something that could not be avoided. When you are searching through over five thousand minds at the same time, you just did not have time to go back and make sure you were entirely perfect.

_Regardless, the boss definitely overestimated this place._ She paused, instantly realizing she was not alone. _Well, he's never been wrong before. Guess I can't assume he is now._ She chuckled to herself, turning to face him. Yes, _him_, by this point she had searched his mind enough to know that it was definitely a he. And she almost laughed at the fact that he was still pressed against the wall around the corner. _Like I don't know he's there, honestly…_

"Alright," she sighed, "Come out already." She did her best to hide the tension in her voice. She was not entirely sure, but it seemed that he had just blocked her out. Like he had shoved her out of the house of his mind and somehow even managed to slam the door. Unconsciously, she squinted her eyes and stepped into a loose fighting stance. She would _not_ be taken by surprise. The man slowly slunk out of the shadows, a black mask keeping his face from her sight. Strange, the only memories she had been able to see - maybe even _allowed_ to see - were those of him fighting… And always with the mask on, never with it off.

He took a fighting stance, snapping her back to reality. Why did that stance seem so familiar? He somehow took away all of her fighting spirit. Frustrated, she clenched and unclenched her fists, trying hard to psych herself back up. She did not get much of a chance - he came at her quickly and with force. _Block, block, dodge, block. _She could not get in a single hit! The furrow in her brow increasing, she tried to move faster, thinking that, if nothing else, she could beat him in speed.

Her tactic failed miserably. Whatever speed she went at, he seemed to go faster. She began to slow herself down, thinking he would follow. He did not. But the weird part was that he kept stopping. Not stopping entirely, but just before he hit her. He would see that she had missed the block and stop within a centimeter of his target, pulling back immediately. After a few minutes, Hikari took a spare second to execute a one-handed back spring, separating herself from him by a few feet. They both stood and stared at each other for a moment, and she realized that she was breathing heavily. Too heavily. This was unusual, even to the point of being weird.

"Who," she choked, raising her hand in question and quickly clearing her throat, "Who _are_ you?" The man reached up, pulling his mask off.

"I thought you would never ask."

"I still can't believe it," Sumire thought aloud, "How is it possible that she doesn't know about you? How is it possible that she hasn't realized that you're watching her?" She propped a hand on her hip and turned to the four adults - okay, three adults and one almost-adult - watching her curiously. The younger one spoke up first.

"Well, isn't it obvious? We wouldn't just give ourselves away!" He scoffed, hugging Isabella once again. She noted that there was no tone to insinuate mocking or insulting. Charles spoke up next.

"That's pretty much the reason I was able to stay with her and teach her," he affirmed, "So that I could make sure she wasn't told and didn't figure it out on her own."

"And," Isabella piped, "After she enrolled in the academy she was much too engrossed in that to really spend time considering the possibilities." Sumire nodded, pondering. Charles stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her back.

"Some things," he sighed, "must be kept a secret. For the sake of those that the things are about, as well as those they would affect."

Sumire nodded again, trying hard to focus. Taking a deep breath, she replied.

"But I still can't believe that Mikan never found out about _you_," she speculated, gesturing to the young man, "I mean, how could she _not_ know that she has a twin?"

There ya go, chapter four ! Okay, now to reply to some reviews... And just a note, it's your reviews that really make me want to keep writing, so I've very, very thankful for them. Ah, and I'm soooooo glad you all seem to like it!

kiuna'yukina: I love those moments, too! They're my fave to write, hehe!

Michiyosama7: I'm trying, I'm trying, be patient onegai

k3gh: Yup, Hikari... Pay special attention to the upcoming chapter titles in this regard, too...

red: I am I am I am! I'm really glad you like it! .

Keep your reviews coming, they really encourage me to keep writing!


	5. Ichigo Ichie

Just a warning... There's like... Lotsa fluff in this chapter o.O ... Yeah, and if you get confused, a lot of stuff will be explained in the following chapter so don't be too discouraged. Read and review and thanks!  
-Kasia/gal

Hitoriaruki: Walking Alone

Chapter Five: Ichigo Ichie

By: Kasia

**Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Gakuen Alice... But if anyone knows how I _can_, do let me know! ;P**

It was a steady sequence.

Natsume would sit and watch Mikan for a few hours, hoping for a change in her condition, until he would finally get so agitated with himself that he would stand. This was a signal to Hotaru, who was always waiting patiently in the corridor. She would silently step into the room, taking her place in another seat by the bed, and Natsume would leave, but not until after he saw her seated. Ruka would wait a few minutes before coming in and taking his seat next to Hotaru, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders as the stifled sobs threatened to come out, creating choking sounds in her throat. After an hour or so, she would get up and flee the room, unable to be quieted any longer, and Ruka would of course chase after her, though not before Sumire stepped in, grabbing Mikan's cold hand and rubbing it soothingly as she sat down on top of the sheets.

Then came the unknown sibling and the newly found aunt, each sitting in chairs on either side of the bed, the brother eventually standing with clenched fists but refusing to leave, Isabella only staring blankly at the sight of her niece in such a disheveled state. Sumire would stay in the room with them for half an hour or so before leaving to let them be alone, reassuming her post in the room across the hall, where she would wait with the door open and type the new information into her computer until Mikan's family, unspoken boyfriend, and best friend all dashed once again from the haunted form of their beloved.

Like I said, it was a steady sequence.

Mikan had been in a coma for over four days with no end in sight. Isabella had no alice copy that could cure this sudden disease, as was the case with Hotaru and her inventions. No, not this disease, which was so clearly a disease of the heart. They had set up one of Martin's servants to take notes of the words that Mikan stuttered, shrieked and whined in her dark, painful sleep, but they had only gotten one phrase thus far, and it was mostly not understandable. _"Chased…li…must…et…ay…protect…st prot…th…"_ At least something like that. This of course meant nothing to any of them, though they all still poured over it for hours at a time, trying and failing to make sense of it.

It was around midnight when Natsume reentered Mikan's room and received the shock. She had woken up long enough to say something about being "unwanted", weeping and distraught, before falling back into her troubled sleep. He rushed to her side to find that she was struggling as though against binds, though there was obviously nothing holding her down. She went on like that for twenty seconds or so before coming back down into a hot, feverish slumber. He ordered a servant to bring cold water and a rag and as soon as they were back he began lightly wiping the sweat from her forehead, a shudder running down his spine as each spasm overtook her, forcing her to struggle yet again.

Ruka, breaking the chain, came in to sit beside him, pained every time he looked at Mikan or Natsume in their depression. He searched for the words that would give his friend comfort, words that would do something for him, but none would come. Natsume sighed - a long, sad sigh that seemed to seep from his very soul - setting down the cloth and dropping his head into his hands.

"Unwanted," he muttered under his breath, so quietly that Ruka was unsure whether or not he had intended for him to hear. "How could she ever possibly feel unwanted? This is Mikan, for crying out loud, she's loved by everyone. There's no one on the planet that could ever possibly dislike her!" Despite the situation, the corners of Ruka's lips tilted slightly upward, Natsume's words so biased and yet so _true_ that he couldn't help it.

"I know," he sighed, "But how do we make her see that? Can she even hear us now?" Natsume looked up at him with hopeless eyes, just watching.

"Wait," Ruka blurted, his face lighting up. "I'll be right back, I have an idea!" He dashed from the room, leaving Natsume feeling confused and curious, though his face had naturally went back to its unemotional state. Ruka came back a few minutes later, shock rushing through him as Mikan broke into another unmerited fight with her invisible ropes. He carried a small journal, which he quickly flipped open, reading from the first page.

" 'August 17... School will be starting again soon. I can't believe we're all officially freshmen! Hotaru and I went with all our friends to a movie tonight, though I barely watched it. I was too happy watching Ruka and Hotaru holding ha'- … Okay, next entry… 'September 4. First day back! It was great, except… Well… Natsume seems to be avoiding me. Oh, and everyone keeps calling me a "greenie", what the heck is that! It's really bugging me, but when I asked them what it meant they just called me a baka! They don't call Hotaru or Ruka greenies! Oh, by the way, they're dating now. Kawaii! I'll write more later, opening exams tomorrow. Bye! -Mikan' "

The two men peered down at Sakura, glad to see that she was beginning to calm. Ruka continued.

" 'September 26. Can you believe it - I aced the test we took last week! And in Jinno-sensei's class, too! No, not the one I wrote about last time, that was ages ago and I did as bad as Sumire for the first time in three years… No, this was different, and Jinno-sensei looked perfectly livid as he handed it back to me. Heh, take that, now you know the true power of Sakura Mikan! But okay, in other news, Ruka, Yuu and Sumire are all in the middle of a two week training session with Narumi-sensei; they actually went out of the school grounds to do it and we haven't seen them since! Hotaru has holed herself away working on some new invention, big shocker there, but she's being way more unsocial than usual, which I credit to depression due to Ruka-pyon's absence. Just my guess. Natsume is _still avoiding_ me, and I honestly don't know what's with him, but I ended up spending the whole day with Koko! Not that I really mind or anything… And why would I actually care what Natsume thinks or does? sigh I just wish I knew what was up. -Mikan' 'October 13. Natsume invited me to go to Central with him on Halloween. Says he has something to te'-"

Natsume grabbed the book, keeping Ruka from finishing his sentence. He motioned his thumb toward the door, not uttering a word, and Ruka instantly understood, nodding as he stood and left, shutting the door behind him with a smirk. Natsume carefully reopened the book, turning each page slowly until he reached the entry Ruka had gotten to. Mikan seemed to be poised, waiting. He cleared his throat.

" 'Says he has something to tell me, though I can't imagine for the life of me what. He didn't show any emotion whatsoever, as usual. Honestly, he's nearly as bad as Hotaru! Ah, time for class (I'm in lunch now), bye! -Mikan' " He took a breath, knowing what would come next. " 'October 30, a little past 2am (okay, so it's really November 1, whatever!) … Just got back and _wow_, do I have news! He had something to tell me alright, the big jerk!' " Natsume cringed. " 'Honestly, I was so excited that I've barely slept all week, and all he says is, "Baka, you actually thought I was serious? You're stupider than I thought!" Yeah, okay, perverted, cruel, sick, sarcastic, idiotic jerk!' " He stifled a chuckle. " 'I can't believe he did that to me! He's so… so… URGH! He's not right in the head! Gah, I'm so mad, I'm going to find someone to spar with!'

" 'November 17. Alright, now I'm _really_ confused. He said that he blew me off for a really good reason. (Wish he would've told me that at the time…) Then, yesterday, he said he needed to talk to me and that I should go meet him by the Northern Woods. Yeah, like I was gonna fall for _that_ again! So, I stayed in my room, stretching and preparing for the 5:30am practice session I had with Shishou this morning. Only - get this - he _showed up_, and not at the Northern Woods, but at my _door!_ I expected him to be furious that I'd stood him up, but he wasn't. He was flushed, like he'd been running, and the first thing I heard out of his mouth, of all things, was "I'm sorry." Wait, say _what!_ I mean, this is Natsume we're talking about! I stared at him, confused, then asked, "What are you talking about?" I could swear I even quirked my eyebrow, I was so lost. "…I know you're mad, but I have a really good reason this time." I just kinda gawked at him. Okay, looking at him got me nowhere, though I admit I enjoyed watching him look so apologetically desperate - it was just so unusual. "Alright Natsume, I have no clue what you're talking about."

" 'His eyebrows went really tight. "The Northern Woods. Two hours…ago…?" I looked him square in the eyes. "I never went. You don't think I'd fall for that twice, do you?" His eyes narrowed at me. "So… You stood me up?" He looked ticked… And maybe somewhat hurt, if that's possible. "Judging from your previous words, you don't have much room to get mad." "Judging from your previous silence, I do." "Pride getting to you again? I accept your apology, for the second time." "Good, it's awfully annoying having you ticked at me. Makes teasing you pointless." "I bet." It was about this time that I noticed our faces were too close together, and I of course pulled away, stepping backwards. Only, I tripped over the rug Anna gave me and totally lost my balance before falling back towards my nightstand! To my astonishment, Natsume leapt forward, grabbing my arm and somehow managing to keep himself balanced. He pulled me towards him and I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck. (Don't say a word - I was just trying to hold myself up, duh!)

" 'Our noses were practically touching when I looked up, and it sounds weird, but I felt strangely secure. He whispered 'baka' and for some odd reason neither of us moved. We just stood there and stared at each other, and I can promise you that I was pretty lost in daydreams by the time he spoke. "Tomorrow morning, front entrance, ten." I blinked and he pulled away, starting back down the hallway. "Wait, what are you - …You mean… A date!" He glared at me over his shoulder, but I saw him turning red, heehee. -Mikan' "

Natsume stopped, again sticking his hand in the water dish and pulling out the washcloth, using it to wipe Mikan's forehead. He remembered it. All of it. So clearly that he could recall her bright pink exercise outfit and matching ponytail holder, just one, holding her hair in a tight and high braid. He remembered the way it looked more curly than usual when she showed up the following morning in khakis and a pretty lavender sweater, saying how she really wanted to see the new movie in town. He remembered her running under what must have been the last tree on the grounds to still have leaves, and he remembered her sticking out her tongue to catch the snowflakes that started falling right as they reached Central Town. He even remembered the smell that lingered on his coat after she gave it back, as he had lent it to her with some sarcasm about her not bringing one of her own.

Yes, he remembered it, all of it, so very clearly.

Leaning toward her, he placed gentle kisses on her forehead and cheeks, then wiped the sweat away once more before standing again to his feet. As expected, Hotaru entered immediately, taking the cloth in her hands. Natsume could only think of one thing that would wake Mikan now. He rushed to the library, finding Isabella in a brown, comfortable recliner.

"Where is she?" He demanded, ignoring Isabella's stifled gasp of shock and the tears on her face. She looked at him for a moment.

"W-who?" She stuttered. Mikan's twin brother leaned forward on the couch nearby, eyeing Natsume.

"He means our mother," he explained to her. Natsume nodded.

"But… Takeru and Mikan's mother is on a mission, I can't just -"

"Answer the question if you ever want to see your niece out of that bed again." Takeru, the obvious heir of his mother's dark Japanese hair, leaned back into the sofa, folding his book and placing it on the end table beside him. Isabella put a hand over her mouth, wide eyed.

"Do you honestly think I wouldn't have gotten her myself if we knew?" Takeru's voice was monotonous.

"We _never_ know," Isabella mumbled hastily, "Her missions are confidential."

"We do."

The group turned to see Sumire and Hotaru standing at the door, mini-computer open in Hotaru's hand. She looked completely devoid of emotion, making Natsume think to himself that Ruka must be glad to see her back to normal. Natsume sure was; a blank-faced Hotaru meant another invention, another breakthrough, another chance, and they could all use any of that at a time like this.

"Where?" He asked, mimicking her tone.

"On the continent north of here," she explained, analyzing the data in front of her. "It should take a day of traveling and a few days of searching to find her."

"Anything else?" She pulled a small vial from her pocket.

"This is from Anna, it will keep Mikan's mother from using her alices on you." He took it and examined it, his eyes slowly looking up.

"Alices? As in plural?" She nodded and he gazed at her, bewildered.

"The nullification alice, like Mikan, and at least one more… I don't know what to call it, but it's basically the same as Koko's mind-reading alice. There is one influential difference though, and I couldn't make anything to guard you from it, though I imagine that if I called Anna and Nonako they could have it ready in a few days."

"No way." _Blunt._

"I didn't think so," she continued, "So here's what it does… She can erase your memory - selectively or completely. Be very weary." He nodded and she handed him the computer, somewhat hesitantly. "Take it, each of these buttons will show you exactly where we are at any time. It will be useful. Besides that, I can send you any new finds from one of the computers here."

"Wait, how did you get that information?" Isabella asked, amazement covering her countenance.

"Haven't you heard?" Sumire asked skeptically, "Hotaru's the best hacker in the business. Not that she uses it for the wrong kind of purposes, mind you…" Sumire winked at Isabella, who was entirely speechless.

Natsume nodded again at Hotaru, this time gravely, before turning and rushing from the house, whispering to the two girls as he passed.

"Take care of her."

Takeru stood, following after him. He finally caught up with Natsume in the main lobby area.

"I'm going with you."

"Fine."

Mikan's mind was in chaos. She could see at least fifty different scenarios, all playing through her mind at the same time and all clearly needing proper evaluation. They were possibilities. Unrealized realities. Glimpses of the many thoughts of the future. Three in particular flooded her senses and emotions beyond any of the others.

_Hotaru ran, hard, with her long dark hair flowing behind her as she made her way down the mountain of damage that had once been a house. No, not a house, a mansion. A beautiful, magnificent, wonderfully furnished mansion. She dashed forward, jumping from board to board, trying to hold her balance and Mikan could almost hear her telling herself that she was almost there, almost finished, almost safe. She looked at the bottom of the collapsing rubbage pile to find her friends all waiting, watching, hoping. Mikan saw herself covering her face with both hands, eyes peeking through her quaking fingers. Ruka was glancing around, trying to find some way to get to her, but Hotaru was nearly there. Every time Mikan saw it she knew that this was it. This was the part. This was where it ended. Hotaru slipped and fell, as always, her body sliding down an overturned door and smashing with a terrifying thud into the wood below her, the wood that was only feet away from Mikan. The group rushed to her limp form, Ruka grabbing her, turning her over, checking her pulse. The answer was always the same._

Throughout the present, still intact mansion, a scream echoed along the walls.

_Someone was sitting. A boy, so young. His mother sat next to him as he grinned at his newborn little sister. The mother looked vaguely familiar and it always took Mikan a moment to realize that it was in fact an older version of herself. She reached forward, gently rubbing the top of the boy's head and kissing his cheek. Then she leaned back, cuddling the infant in her arms and trying hard not to cry. "My poor daughter," she whispered, "You'll never get the chance to meet your father… He would have loved you more than the world…" And in her deepest, darkest depths, the young, present-day and unwed Mikan would know… Know so much that she could smell the odor that had resonated in the funeral house, know so well that she could still hear the many condolences, know so gravely that she could see that face… That pale, dark face, as Natsume laid in his casket._

Screams were replaced with stifled sobs as Ruka hurriedly continued dipping the cloth in the basin and wiping the young woman's drops of sweat.

_This time it was herself. She sat, looking exactly the same as she did now, cradling his head in her hands and weeping. It was almost over. She couldn't even remember what, but she could feel all strength draining from her as she offered it up, giving the last of herself to change her beloved. When he finally vanished from her grasp, the grass beneath them seemingly unmarred by his presence, she poured one last ounce of strength into the air, bidding it to him as she fell back, heart slowing to a stop and breaths receding to nothingness._

Ruka panicked. Mikan was completely still now, but not in the pleasant, oh-good-she's-finally-resting sort of still. She was deathly still. He instantly sent the maid to get Hotaru, roughly checking for Mikan's pulse. Nothing. What the heck was going on? Every five seconds she was acting completely different, like she was in some sort of mood swing. He had been through this entire process at least three times already, and he was sure others had watched as she did the same thing in this sad, desperate state. Luckily, Hotaru came in right then and instantly started checking Mikan's vitals, pulling out small electronic knick-knacks to get the job done. After confirming that she was, in fact, alive, Hotaru took the seat next to Ruka and wearily leaned her head on his shoulder. _Too much going on all at once,_ she thought to herself. _Too much._

With the hint of a smile, she lifted Mikan's hand and gazed at the gorgeous engagement ring. It was white gold - Mikan's favorite - with diamonds and sapphires decorating its top. Raising her head, Hotaru leaned forward to examine it closely. She carefully moved to slide it off Mikan's finger - she would have bet anything that there was something written on the inside - but Mikan shuddered when the ring reached her knuckle and Hotaru took the hint, sliding it back on. She turned and grinned at Ruka. Mikan's feelings for Natsume were so strong that she shook at the thought of being separated, even if only from a present he had given her. She must have known that he had left… They were bonded.

Ruka flushed when Hotaru flicked her eyes toward the ring, then back to him, taking his hand in hers. He reached his other hand into his pocket, rubbing his fingers over the velvet case, just to be sure it was there. Now wasn't the time… Not yet.

The two stared at each other, Hikari shocked and entirely exhausted. She had spent all night trying to lose him, trying to escape. On habit, she surveyed her surroundings. Wood. Forest. Oak? Her eyes traveled back to the man standing in front of her. How was it possible for him to be breathing so steadily? Only one man had ever been able to keep up with her, and he was dead. A stupid mistake mixed with a typhoon out at sea. Mother Nature had a way of knocking everyone off their high horse, didn't she? Not that he had ever been arrogant. Loving, kind, powerful, but never arrogant. He was dead, regardless.

That's why, while the man standing in front of her looked exactly like him - built, tall, light-haired, - she knew better than to fall for it. Plastic surgery could create all that, and it wasn't like no one had tried this on her before. Still, it _was_ impressive that he had stayed with her this long. Raising her eyebrow, she met his gaze.

"Why are you so determined to follow me? I know you're exhausted, you don't have to fake otherwise." Her voice rang out with an icy annoyance.

"I do believe I've explained that already," he said coolly. "And you know as well as I that I'm not pretending." She watched him, cautiously examining him from head to toe. He stayed completely still under her inspection, watching the emotions flicker through her eyes. She showed nothing on the rest of her face - nothing but the plain annoyance that she had intended him to see - but her eyes showed everything, at least to him. He saw disbelief, hope, rich sorrow and finally crushing acceptance pass over them and he had to stop himself from moving forward to comfort and assure her.

"Who are you?" She breathed the question simply and calmly.

"Isn't it obvious?" There was only kindness - that far too familiar kindness - in his voice.

"Prove it," she demanded, tone challenging and nearly masking the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

He was behind her in a second, arms wrapping around her waist, hand finding hers and quietly dropping the shiny objects into them. The chain she had dropped that fateful night. The gold band he hadn't removed once since. She gasped, holding them up and staring at them in awe. If anyone else had done this, she would have spun around and knocked them on their face, demanding to know where they had found these sentimental pieces, but he wasn't anyone else. As soon as his arms had wrapped around her, she had known. Still, when he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek, she quite nearly dropped both of the timeless prizes (and would have if his hands hadn't clasped her own shut).

"It's me." She turned, slowly raising her eyes to meet his, free hand stroking his face.

"…Edward…"

Wowie, lotsa fluff this chapter, eh? Review review review (or I'll stop writing, MUAHAhahahahaha!) and let me know what you think! I added a ton of characters, didn't I o.O? No flaming, please, L O L ! (Okay, so I probably wouldn't stop writing... But I really want reviews, so please please please give input . !)


	6. Run to the Light

Kasia: So, we've reached chapter six!!! Wow, I really didn't think it would last this long...

Natsume: Neither did I...

Kasia: Hey!!!

Natsume: Just being honest.

Hotaru: It was a scientific certainty that you would fail.

Kasia: ...You're calculating my odds for _failure?_

Hotaru + Natsume: Not much to calculate.

Kasia: …That's cold…

Ruka: Awful, aren't they?

Kasia: You know you two, you're _in_ this story, do you want me to switch your coupling around or something?!

Mikan: wakes up Waaaait!

Natsume: unfazed Chill, she can't do anything to us...

Ruka: Mikan's up!

Takeru: dives at his sister

Natsume: lights Takeru's pant leg on fire

Takeru: looks down, yelps, runs in circles and generally freaks out

Hotaru: shoots Takeru with baka gun

long pause

Kasia: …Okay… Anyways, what makes you think I can't change it?

Hotaru: matter-of-factly It's quite obvious that without the Natsume and Mikan pairing you would lose many readers.

Natsume: …

Takeru: …

Ruka: …

Mikan: …

Kasia: ...Crap.

Hitoriaruki: Walking Alone

Chapter Six: Run to the Light

By: Kasia

Natsume and Takeru were quickly bringing the plane onto its steady course, their minds focused on their discussion. An abrupt ring erupted from Natsume's pocket, startling both of them. Takeru took over the controls as Natsume pulled out the mini-computer and Hotaru's face flashed in front of him, holographic beams shooting from the screen and making her three dimensional.

"Natsume." Funny how she made it into a statement, not a question. "I have new leads. She's with someone, I'm not sure who… I think it's a man. I have a very short visual feed from a satellite in the area." Neither of the men bothered asking how she had gotten control of the satellite, though Takeru did raise his eyebrows as he switched the jet into autopilot, turning to the image floating in the air of the cockpit.

"I'm sending it now," Hotaru added, her eyes looking down for a moment, the clicking of keys clearly audible as she opened and dispatched the file. A video instantly appeared in front of them with crystalline clarity.

Two figures, appearing to be man and woman, ran through the outskirts of a small village. The man left the woman, kissing her cheek before he ducked into the town and talked to a few different vendors, returning with food and drink. They proceeded to run into the woods behind them, both scaling the foliage with visible ease. The visual snapped off and Hotaru reappeared in front of them.

"That's all I have. Any ideas from either of y- … Takeru, your heart rate has suddenly escalated, and your vitals are showing you to have a fever…" She eyed him and Natsume turned to find his new partner with his eyes wide, face ashen and breaths heavy.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" Natsume asked, agitated. _The last thing I need on this mission is dead weight._ Takeru seemed to snap out of his reverie, eyes looking up.

"Replay that transmission," he commanded Hotaru, wiping the sweat that was lining his forehead with his shirt sleeve. It was pointless; beads of the salty liquid reappeared instantly. Either she didn't notice or she didn't care because she simply nodded, face as unrevealing as ever, and set the video running again through the silence.

"I knew it," he muttered, face turning frustrated, angry, hopeful and relieved all at once.

"Knew what?" Natsume asked with impatience, getting annoyed.

"It's…" Takeru paused, watching the video for a few more seconds before nodding, voice confident. "Yup, it's our dad."

Mikan bolted upright in her bed, choking on the millions of strangled emotions inside of her. She leaned forward, gasping for air, and felt a hand lightly rest on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Hotaru looking at her with a pained expression, the rest of the room empty and dark. She opened her mouth to speak, but no noise emitted. Trying desperately to catch her breath, she clutched her chest, pain screaming through her.

"H-Hotaru…!" She finally managed to gasp. "Hotaru! We have to go! We have to go _now!"_

The raven-haired woman looked at her oddly, shaking her head.

"Oh, no, you're not going _anywhere_. You need to rest." The command left no room for argument, yet Mikan still opened her mouth in protest. Then snapped it shut. An idea was forming in her mind.

"Y-You're right," she sighed weakly, sinking back down onto the bed. "I need to rest before I can go, anyways. I won't be much help if I'm too tired to do anything." Hotaru studied her suspiciously, then nodded.

"Your fever is gone, so I'll leave you for now." She stood, crossing to the doorway before stopping and peering over her shoulder. "_However_, don't think that I'm not going to keep a good eye on you, so you better not try anything stupid!" Mikan nodded and scrunched up beneath the covers, enjoying the warmth. She knew one thing – in order for this to work, Hotaru would have to check on her exactly four times before she could leave. If she just laid there and counted the times the door opened, she could be out on her own in a few hours. If she _didn't_ wait, she would only be gone a few minutes before they caught up with her.

_Unless you take the car,_ a voice mumbled in her head. She instantly dismissed the idea. The car had a tracking device, and that wouldn't go over smoothly. Instead, she would have to wait. And wait. _And wait._ In fact, she had to wait nearly five hours before she was positive Hotaru would leave her alone long enough for her to escape. After the fourth time Hotaru peeked her head in the doorway, Mikan was finally ready. She silently counted to two hundred, then jumped out of bed, slipped into her normal clothes – which were conveniently placed on the nightstand next to her – and swung the door-size, crystalline window open.

Dang, it was bright out. She instantly cringed, squinting her eyes to adjust to the sudden change in lighting before hopping down to the ground below. It was about three stories. Good thing she knew what it meant to "tuck and roll", or she would have broken one too many bones. _Children,_ Mikan warned no one in particular,_ don't try this at home._ She glanced over her shoulder, checked that her communication earpiece – which also had a tracker – was out, and rushed into the foliage surrounding the driveway. She had a lot of ground to cover and no time, but she knew one thing was certain: If anyone stopped her, everything was over.

They quickly found their way into the city, making a path for the 'food block', as everyone here seemed to call it. He was alive. _Alive._ And standing right next to her. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, pinch herself or pounce on him (again). So, with her cataclysm of emotions, she automatically decided to just stare. He found that amusing. It was cute that his wife was so pleased to see him. Of course, he was pleased to see her, too, but he had been able to keep tabs on her this entire time, whereas she had been stuck believing he was dead. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like if the roles were reversed. Just the thought shook him.

That's why, above all else, they needed to find a place to talk. Somewhere no one would look for them – somewhere inconspicuous. Thus, the food block. He led her to a jam-packed restaurant and they took their seats in the middle of the second floor, everyone around them as loud and boisterous as he had hoped. Sure, it might seem better to discuss private matters in a quiet, secretive place, but he knew the truth. A filled, roaring bar would serve to keep their secrets better than any other. This was mostly because everyone was so focused on what they were doing – and the louder, more urgent noises throughout the bar – than what some lone, reminiscing couple was talking about. It was also because most people were too drunk to remember anything, regardless.

As they took their seats, he reached out and grabbed her hand over the table, shooting her an encouraging smile and trying to act like they were just a normal couple rather than two superbly powerful and effective secret government agents. Like anyone would have ever guessed that, what with their everyday clothes and love struck grins. She propped her elbow on the table and sighed contentedly.

"Now, if only Mikan were here to see this," she whispered under her breath, tears springing unbidden to her eyes. "If only that child really knew either of us." They shared an empathetic gaze for just a moment before Edward took hold of her other hand, clasping them together tightly.

"I owe you some explanations, Maria."

She looked up, eyes searching his own as she nodded.

"Yes. Yes, you do." He sighed, eyes focusing on the smooth skin of her palms as he began.

"It all started about ten years ago…"

"Preparing for landing," Natsume said from the cockpit, his voice resonating to the back of the plane, where Takeru was checking his gear. From the simplest of items to the most complex, he needed them all if this mission were to succeed. Standing, he turned to look over his shoulder towards the front.

"Roger." He went back to his work as the radio rang out behind him.

"Rabbit to Black Cat, come in." Natsume tried not to grimace at his code name.

"Yeah, this is Black Cat, what is it?" He swished the juice in his hand before taking a swig.

"The sun has risen and is behind a cloud, over." He nearly choked, barely managing to swallow the liquid without shooting it across the room. He took a few breaths to steady himself, but his voice still shook when he spoke.

"R-repeat, over."

"Repeat, the sun has risen and is behind a cloud, over." He called Takeru to the front, worry mounting within him. The 'sun' was Mikan and, while 'risen' meant she was awake and well, 'behind a cloud' meant something he hadn't thought possible.

She was missing.

It was pouring. The rain was falling in giant waves that didn't seem to ever want to stop. Mikan shivered involuntarily, rubbing her arms for warmth as she stepped into the phone booth. Hitting zero for the operator, she quickly told them that she worked for Gakuen Arisu and needed a taxi right away, making them promise not to tell a soul who she was. They didn't argue. No one argued with the top agents of Gakuen Arisu, especially the few that reached Sakura Mikan's level of popularity.

The taxi arrived in less than five minutes and Mikan all but leapt from the icy temperatures of the phone booth to the warmth of the car, giving the driver direct orders to take her to the nearest airport, fast. She had no more time to waste, especially now that she finally knew exactly where to go. Her 'dreams' had explained everything so clearly, so _vividly_, and she knew better than to believe that it had been by mistake. There was someone she needed to see, someone who would give her the information she needed and answer her questions completely. And she knew that until she had the facts down, she would never be able to rest.

So what was the glitch in this little plan of hers? She wasn't exactly thrilled about the person she had to go meet up with. In fact, she was almost positive that he wouldn't be too thrilled to see her, either. Of course, that was to be expected, knowing what this man had put Natsume through during his earlier school years. Starting to catch on? That's right, the man that would provide the truth…?

None other than Persona.

"So then, all this time…" Her emotions becoming too great, Maria choked up. She was an agent, yes, and she certainly knew how to control her emotions, even under the greatest adversity, but that didn't mean she was impenetrable. Something like this… She couldn't help but get upset. If she didn't get upset about this, of all things, she would be nothing short of inhuman.

"Yes." Edward watched her crumble, his insides going cold with remorse and sorrow. How could he explain it to her? How could he possibly explain that it was the only choice, the only scenario, the only possibility that led to his family's very survival? And what would she possibly do, now that she knew everything that had happened in the past few years?

"I don't get it," she stated plainly, though he could tell that she was just getting started. "You leave without any notice except a_ body_, work for a man that was controlling that boy like an artist controls a paint brush, then – as if that's not enough – you dare to come back and act like everything is okay, like everything had a reason?" Her voice was on edge, laced with pain and anger, her well-honed self control the only thing keeping it at its even tone.

"Mari-"

"What's more," she cut him off, "You and I stroll around for a day, just remembering old times and acting like we're going to live together, happily ever after, but really you're just going to turn around and leave again!"

"Maria, plea-"

"I thought you were _dead_, _baka_!" She slapped her hands onto the table on the last word, pushing herself up and racing out of the café. _No_, she thought to herself, _There is no way I'm going through that again._ Tears choking her, she tried hastily to wipe her eyes, not noticing the men that came from behind, far too emotional to focus on their vicious thoughts when her own were in such turmoil. _I would rather you had just never come back at all!_

After a bit of arguing – mostly one-sided, due to Natsume's stubbornness – Takeru was on the ground tracking Maria, while Natsume went back after Mikan. Like he would ever let someone _else_ go after her, family or not! Honestly, that would mean someone else saving her, protecting her, _comforting_ her. Let some other guy do that? Like hell. Who was to say any other guy could take care of her the right way, anyways? Even if it was her brother, she didn't know him at all – how could he possibly make her feel any better? No, this was something only Natsume could do, and he was quite determined to keep it that way, no matter what methods he used. This is one of those, "insert picture of fire-threatening Natsume" moments, hehe… -Kasia

Still, with Hotaru working on finding Mikan and nothing for him to do, Natsume was starting to get impatient. It was all good and well to refuel, but did it have to take so long? And Hotaru was the best tracker he had ever met – especially when grouped with Ruka and Sumire – so she should be done soon, right? He stretched with a yawn, leaning back in his pilot's seat to take a quick nap before everything was set for him to leave.

Mikan's side gushed blood, her opponent's last words echoing through her thoughts. They had underestimated her by sending only amateurs, but somehow her weakened state had allowed them to score a few wounds. Her movements had been far too slow, too sluggish, and they had rightly used that to their advantage. In fact, only her strong determination had let her win at all, and the blood was proof. What she hated the most was that she hadn't even reached the most dangerous part of the mission, yet she was already wounded so deeply.

Shrugging off the urge to cry, she forced herself back into independent mode, standing up to her full stature and hastily tearing the bottom piece of her shirt and tying it tight around the gash along her waist. The blood soaked through instantly, but she knew it would slow eventually; the problem was in the fact that she was still traveling, still moving to her destination. She didn't have the luxury of pausing for a medical check – she needed to get there as fast as possible, and that required constant motion.

Of course, she didn't know that she was already being watched. Thankfully, it wasn't by an enemy this time.

Ruka stepped quietly into the bedroom his from had been feverish in hours before. His silence was multi-purposed – for one, Sumire was working on her computer at a round table in the lounging area. For another, Hotaru had fallen into slumber in one of the lounge chairs facing the window. That in itself meant that Mikan was located, but he crept over to Sumire anyways, whispering in an effort to not alert Hotaru.

"Status report?"

Sumire didn't even glance up from the computer, probably because she had caught his scent or heard his footsteps when he came in.

"Natsume will reach her in about four hours," she murmured back, volume matching his own. "Oh," she added, "And Hotaru's been out for about half an hour." He nodded, making his way to his girlfriend's side. Carefully, _gently_, he lifted her bridal style, relishing in the feel of her warmth. She stirred and tensed, but instantly relaxed at the recognition of his touch as he brushed his lips over her cheek. Snuggling in closer to him, she leaned her head against his shoulder and let a content sigh escape her lips. He grinned, nodding his good-bye to a smirking Sumire as he carried Hotaru from the room.

Finding her own bedroom, he hesitantly laid her down on the luxurious mattress, pulling the covers up to her chin and tucking her loose hair behind her ears. As a last gesture of affection, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning to leave.

She caught his sleeve.

Startled, he let her tug him back toward her, barely hearing her almost inaudible whisper.

"Stay."

A smile tickled the ends of Ruka's lips and he nodded, voicing an equally quiet "okay". He took her hand from his sleeve, holding it between his own and settling into the chair beside the bed, waiting for her to either give a signal that she wanted more or fall asleep. After a few seconds she tugged at his hand again, muttering something under her breath. He leaned forward, straining to catch what she was saying.

"…Cold," he finally made out, "…I'm cold…" He pressed his hand against her forehead, checking for a fever but finding nothing out of the ordinary. Her eyes abruptly opened, meeting his gaze. His heart broke when he saw the pain in them – the remorse; the things that only he was ever allowed to see. Without thinking he leaned forward and tilted her face upward, cupping her cheeks with his hands and catching her lips with his own. She blushed, but her anxiety instantly faded. After a few seconds they separated, neither moving more than a centimeter or so away from the other.

Again, ever so slightly, she tugged on his hand, face flushing even more. He wrapped his arms around her, his hands finding their way inside the blanket as he lay down beside her. He felt heat on his cheeks and had to fight the urge to look away from her, instead pulling her closer. Her head snuggled firmly against his chest, both peacefully drifting off to sleep. Yup, Sumire would tease them _terribly_ for this…

Speaking of the devil, Sumire was thinking just that.

"Alrighty," she said to the empty room around her, "They'll be out of commission for awhile…" A sly grin spread across her face as she continued studying the screen in front of her. Mikan's status… Still traveling, but moving slow and leaving a trail of hot splashes on the ground behind her. Blood, obviously. _Well, I suppose it will make Natsume find her faster, if nothing else…_ Maria and her long-lost husband… Separated – she quietly mused to herself that mothers and daughters really _were_ a lot alike – though not by much, and a gang of men were following Maria like she was fresh meat. With Edward also trailing Maria, Sumire almost felt bad for the men. Almost.

Takeru… About an hour from Maria, moving at approximately sixty-five miles per hour. _Must be driving._ Natsume… Her eyes went wide, filled with shock and disbelief. _How the heck did he manage to get so close so quickly?_ She pondered, trying not to panic, as there was only one explanation. _Mikan must be bleeding _bad He was not only already on the ground, but only five minutes away! Good thing, too, because something appeared to be happening with Mikan.

She had stopped.

Mikan stared, Persona standing before her with a smirk spread across his face.

"So… You came," he stated, instantly putting her on edge.

"Of _course_ I came! What the heck is going on?! What did you do to me?!" Persona's smirk widened, his dark eyes remaining as emotionless as ever. Natsume watched from the shadows, precariously perched in his typical spot in the trees, the foliage blocking him from view, though he was just above Mikan. He had nearly fainted upon seeing Mikan and Persona together, anger instantly replacing the shock as he gazed at his own personal Hitler.

"You've done well, Sakura," Persona cooed to her, sending shivers down both Natsume and Mikan's spine. Her eyes widened and his narrowed, both glaring at their nemesis with all their might.

"Meaning?" Mikan demanded, furious.

"Meaning that you did _exactly_ what I knew you would," he paused and looked above her, meeting Natsume's gaze. She glanced around, confused, as she couldn't see anything in her field of vision. She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it. "As did you, Natsume."

Mikan gasped as Natsume landed beside her, face so emotionless that he might as well have been wearing his cat mask. He grabbed her arm, tugging her away. She shot him a questioning gaze, but he wasn't looking at her, and good thing – she could see the anger glinting off her eyes and knew it wouldn't be too great if he was using them on her.

"Good bye, then," Persona called out to them, voice oddly calm. Mikan glanced behind her – no way would he let them go that easily – but Natsume didn't even pause. If anything, he increased his pace, pulling her so hard her shorter legs were forced into a light jog. After a few silence-filled minutes she fell forward, catching onto Natsume's arm as he pulled her up straight for about the millionth time – she had lost count of exactly how many – and she finally lost her patience.

"Alright, alright, wait!" He wouldn't look at her, but kept his eyes focused on the path in front of them, stubbornly holding her arm but not pulling anymore for the time being. "Natsume, I want an explanation. He obviously didn't stop us for a reason, so don't we need to consider the possibility of traps? Talk to me, will you?" The last sentence almost cracked him, but he bit his tongue. Seeing that he was keeping his silence, she sighed. He allowed himself to glance her wound out of the corner of his eye and instantly cringed. It was deep and untreated. Wonderful.

"Natsu-" Mikan began again, stopping when Natsume hastily turned back to face her, pulling a bandage and some antiseptic out of his pouch. "Oh, hey, Natsume, I-"

"Sit." She looked up at him, surprised.

"What?"

"The cut is above your waist, I'll be able to clean it better if you sit down." His tone was bored, eyes impatiently awaiting her reaction.

"Oh," she managed, "Right." She looked around them, eyes settling on a semi-smooth (if angled) rock a few feet away. She hesitantly took her seat, eyes watering with the pain of jostling the cut in an unusual way. Natsume kneeled next to her, setting the bandages down and reaching forward. He tried to be as gentle as possible, but it was obvious that the blood had dried (and scabbed) to her shirt, and thus he had no choice but to keep pulling as she choked back sobs.

"So why did you go find him on your own?" He asked, mostly in an effort to remove her mind from the pain, gently wiping the antiseptic against her sensitive skin and leaning forward to blow on the cut when he saw that she was suffering.

"…I'm not sure," she mumbled after a moment. "This entire time I've been struggling, trying to find answers to my questions, but then, at that moment, after I had those dreams, I realized that I already knew." He continued working, hiding his anxiety with confident, even strokes.

"I'm expendable."

He instantly stopped, eyes darting up to hers, fury rising within him. He made to speak, but she beat him to it.

"But only if my friends are in danger. I'm not saying that I'm worthless, I'm just saying that they are worth _more_." He swallowed, trying to bite back his anger but failing miserably.

"…'_Expendable_'… 'They are worth _more_'…?" Her eyes weren't meeting his but looking at her hands, clenched together in her lap. "Mikan, what the heck are you talking about?" He was using every ounce of willpower to keep his tone from escalating out of control. "Everything you've been doing has made absolutely no sense! Go running off, get saved, go running off, get saved… When are you going to stop being so freakin' selfish and think about what you're putting everyone else through? What you're putting _me_ through?" She looked up at him, eyes wide in surprise.

"Natsume, I… I hadn't meant… I didn't want anyone to have to go through so much trouble…"

"That's not what I mean. We don't _mind_ helping you out! We don't mind saving you, even if it means getting injured in the process, because you're _important_ to us, Mikan!" She looked a bit confused and he rushed on, standing to his feet and pacing as he spoke. "It's not the tracking or the helping or even the fighting that we mind – it's the fact that you leave us with no idea where you are, making Hotaru worry to the edge of her mind and me to… to…" He paused, clenching a fist at his side.

"…To what?" she asked quickly. "Spit it out." He gave her an annoyed look and she grinned. "To stress and pace, and worry like mad?" He huffed a bit at the joy she seemed to be experiencing as she asked him this.

"Yeah, and think that I must not be as close to you as I thought." She cocked her head to the side, confused.

"…Why?" His anger flared up again.

"Why? Well gee, let's think here, maybe because you don't TRUST ME AT ALL! You don't even say a word about it! There are no hints, no silent tips as to what's going on or notes that only I get to see. There's nothing for me to go by at all, you just up and disappear, like the most important things in your life are totally hidden, totally blocked away from me. I'm so used to you telling me _everything_, but lately you haven't said a word. Dang it, Mikan, do you know what you do to me?" He finished the final sentence with a loud sigh, running a hand through his hair and kneeling back down again. "You just need to be more careful, alright?" His head was buried in his hands, so she couldn't really see his face. "Let me help you out every once in awhile; when you don't I feel like I'm just useless to you."

Climbing down from her spot – her side had long been bandaged – she carefully kneeled down next to him.

"Um…" she murmured nervously, "You know… It's not…" She leaned in, her mouth close to his ear as she whispered. "It's not that I don't trust you, or that you're useless to me, and especially not that you're not close to me. It's nothing like that. It's like… It's like..." She paused again, pushing his hair up enough for her to lean forward and kiss his cheek. "It's like I'm afraid that if I allow myself to love you anymore, I'll never be able to leave. And if I let you know everything, you'll never let me." She went to stand but he grabbed her wrist, meeting her eyes.

"Even if I don't know everything, I'll never let you. Trying to protect your friends is nice, but it's just your excuse for running away. Even without knowing exactly what happened to make you think that we even _needed_ protection, I can still tell you that it's just an excuse. You're afraid, definitely afraid, but it's not because you think you'll never leave. It's not even because you know I'll never let you." He stood, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her toward him, her hands holding herself away, pushing against his chest.

"It's because you're scared that _I _will leave." Her eyes widened, a single tear starting its path down her cheek. He released her arm and cupped her face, wiping the liquid away with his thumb. "But I won't. And you're right – I won't let you. You're afraid of _you_ loving _me_ too much? Ha. Even if you didn't love me – which you do, I might add…" A sly grin played across his face. "But even if you didn't, I _still_ wouldn't let you leave. Even if you went off and married… Married… Married _Ruka_ or something (not that Hotaru or I would let you, but that's not the point), I still wouldn't let you go. I would protect you and bring you back, even if I had to bop your head a few times and carry you a million miles. I'll say it one more time, Mikan: You're _important_ to us. Especially me." He leaned forward and kissed her gently, pushing her hair behind her ears. "Because I love you." She lifted her hands and cried into them, sobs shaking her shoulders as she leaned forward, his arms instantly encircling her.

Yes, it was true that she had needed to hear that. She had needed to hear that more than anything in the world. And yes, she was terrified that he would leave. Beyond terrified. Traumatized.

But that just strengthened her resolve. Because now, above all else, she knew the dream was going to become reality. And now, she had the answer. What would she give if it meant saving her beloved?

Her life.

Alright, that was chapter six… Soooo mushy x.x I think I got all corny for a second! Well, let me know if you liked or hated and I'll change it if I need to, hehe. ALSO, as this fanfic is kinda nearing the end (just a few chapters left!), send me ideas for new ones!!! I'm debating on doing a Kiba x Hinata fanfic (Naruto), and I've got a bit of a plot already prepared, but let me know if that's what you want or not… Okay, hope you liked and GO REVIEW!!! Cya!

-Kasia


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